We’re absolutely thrilled to announce a very generous $10,000 donation from Jadon’s Hope Foundation in direct support of our Project Mariposa iPad grant program. That’s 20 more iPads going to 20 very deserving grantees. And that’s 20 more lives changed. Literally.
Jadon’s Hope Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Olathe, Kansas founded by our close friends and fellow SMA advocate-parents, Tony and Kristin Burks. Tony and Kristin are parents to the irresistibly handsome 4-year-old Jadon. Like Gwendolyn, Jadon was born perfectly healthy and diagnosed with SMA Type I shortly thereafter. Like all with SMA, he’s a fighter. But more than anything else, like his parents, he’s just plain awesome.
The Burks’ family has been incredibly supportive of our efforts through theGSF over the years. In 2010, a family friend scaled one of the highest peaks in the world and the Burks' created an entire “Climb4SMA” fundraiser surrounding it, including a huge kick off celebration party and auction, raising an amazing $50,000 for our “$200K For SMA” fundraising challenge. That funding went directly to The Ohio State University to advance critical safety and toxicity studies for the promising SMA gene therapy program led by Dr. Brian Kaspar; a research program that was green lighted for human clinical trials and fast-tracked by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in mid-2013. In 2012, the Burks started Jadon’s Hope Foundation to raise awareness of SMA, fund research, and support families impacted by this brutal disease. They’ve already held several successful, positive fundraising events and are having a real impact.
From Tony and Kristin Burks of Jadon's Hope Foundation:
“An iPad for a child with SMA is more than a toy or a video game, it is the key to a door that otherwise may remain shut. That door is independence. The independence of doing something, anything on their own, which we witnessed firsthand with Jadon. When theGSF started Project Mariposa we immediately fell in love with the program and so did Jadon’s Hope Foundation supporters. We are honored to impact 20 SMA lives with this donation in such a positive way. Thank you theGSF for creating such a great program.”
There are many worthy programs to support and we’re honored that Jadon’s Hope Foundation has chosen our Project Mariposa iPad grant program with such a generous donation. We absolutely LOVE Project Mariposa and we’re proud of the impact it is having on so many in the SMA community. But it’s humbling to know that they too have been touched by the program. And plainly, Project Mariposa would not be able to positively effect so many lives if it didn't have support from others. The Jadon's Hope Foundation $10,000 donation enables Project Mariposa to continue to grow, to reach more people, and to help them gain that coveted independence!
Jadon’s Hope Foundation, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you! And we love you ☺
For more information on Project Mariposa or to learn more about how you can get involved to fund more iPad grants, please visit ProjectMariposa.com
For more information on the Jadon’s Hope Foundation or the Burks family, please visit JadonsHope.org