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JGA Quarterly Newsletter: Incredible Research Progress as Global Community Grows

We can’t believe the Summer has arrived! It’s July already, the year is flying by. Thank you for taking a moment to read our Jordan’s Guardian Angels Quarterly Update. Here we hope you will find a window into the incredible progress this group is making on so many levels.
 
Our community is growing, our research is evolving in leaps and bounds and we have never been closer to a treatment or a cure for Jordan’s Syndrome.
 
Thank you for being a part of our family and for taking the time to be involved. We are so appreciative of the support you and your families provide.

Research Update

Jordan’s Guardian Angels is in the midst of a very exciting time as we are closer than ever to finding answers. We are now just months away from beginning targeted clinical trials. Families from around the world are continuing to provide their data and answer surveys with Simons Searchlight and our research team to better understand Jordan’s Syndrome and what it does.
 
Currently, our research team is working diligently on a deep dive into the basic science to understand the genetic mutations on a micro level. Mice clinical trials are also ramping up using 3 different compounds targeting different symptoms of Jordan’s Syndrome. A clinical trials team is hard at work right now designing the trials in preparation for human clinical trials using one particular compound that has shown to improve cognition when administered to mice.
 
It's more important than ever that we continue our fundraising efforts as we are getting closer and closer to what we have all been waiting for… an answer for our families and to see the impacts this research has on the world.

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Our Global Community

We are continuing to grow every single week here at Jordan’s Guardian Angels. We are thrilled that our new families are finding us and now have a new and supportive home. Our community is now more than 380 families strong and growing all the time.
 
To make the transition into our community run smoothly, we now have a fully staffed Ambassador Program for our families to utilize. These specially trained individuals are all part of our global family here to help new families and current families with navigating JGA. The program is designed to help our families in their language in their region of the world to help make the transition run smoothly. The Ambassadors have created regional Whatsapp groups and Facebook groups and texts threads to provide support for our families.

We are so grateful for the work they do.
 
 

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JGA "One in a Million" Campaign
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This year, we have launched a brand-new fundraising campaign aimed at raising ONE MILLION DOLLARS for our children who truly are one in a million. The goal is simple, to get as many people as humanly possible to donate one dollar today. One dollar, one time and we grow from there. All of the funds go directly to Jordan’s Syndrome Research. Watch this video to learn more!

Here are three easy places to donate today:
 
Venmo: venmo.com/JordansGuardianAngels
PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=KXPNGTHTDT5TC
JGA Site: https://jordansguardianangels.org/get-involved/
 
We are #JGAOneInAMillion! 

If you have any questions, please contact Candice Huber: chuber@jordansguadianangels.org.

2024 Family Conference
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Summer 2024 is our targeted date for our next Family Conference! We are very excited to have everyone together again and to be able to continue gathering valuable information for our research efforts. More details are to come on specific dates and a location. Stay tuned!

Partnerships

Jordan’s Guardian Angels is expanding its partnership with the Rare Epilepsy Network. Our Director of Outreach and Content Development, Christina Janes is now a member of their Coordinating Committee.
 
REN welcomes all rare epilepsy organizations and broad epilepsy stakeholders to come together around research efforts to improve lives. This partnership is something we are extremely proud of as REN is one of the foremost global networks in the rare disease community. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.

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Tech Update

ALL of our social media channels recently underwent a major tech overhaul. Under careful and targeted guidance, we are growing our digital footprint and could use your help in aiding that growth.
 
Help us to grow our social media. Click the links below to “follow” our journey. One click makes a big difference!
 
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Linkedin
Twitter
TikTok

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Family Involvement

We are so excited to highlight an incredible Jordan’s Guardian Angels Mom who continues to spread the word about Jordan’s Syndrome every day. Michelle Fruhschien is Mom to Hailey who is living with Jordan’s Syndrome. She’s also an incredible advocate and social media aficionado. Michelle has joined forces with Extra Lucky Moms to spread the word about our community.
 
Extra Lucky Moms continues to be a great JGA partner, this group helps to remind us daily that we are extra lucky to be the parents of children with special needs. The founders created this group as two moms who want to share the joy that comes with being a disability mom.
 
They have since published a book Dear Mama: Stories of an extra lucky life, a compilation of letters from moms in the disability community. Michelle was chosen as one of those Moms to share her story. We are so proud of her, of all the good she’s bringing to the world and her continued efforts to shed light on Jordan’s Syndrome and Jordan’s Guardian Angels. Thank you Michelle for all you do!

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Thank You!
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From this global family pictured above to you, THANK YOU!

As we always say, we couldn’t do this without all of you. Our journey is now your journey, and as we find a treatment or a cure for our children, we could very well unlock some of the world’s greatest medical mysteries… Parkinson’s, Autism, cancer, Alzheimer’s and more that could impact you or someone you love. We are so thankful for all of you, your dedication, donations, support and guidance.

From all of us here at Jordan’s Guardian Angels, THANK YOU!

Published

July 13, 2023

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2022 Jordan's Guardian Angels Recap

Happy New Year! We are so honored that each and every one of you are by our side as we continue our journey toward a treatment or a cure for Jordan’s Syndrome. What a year it has been. Our community has grown on a weekly basis as we added new families from around the world, our research team made incredible strides and breakthroughs and has some new and exciting updates to share, our JGA Team is expanding and evolving to meet your needs as this global community grows, and so many of you are stepping up to help move this effort forward.
 
There is so much to look forward to in 2023 with new ways for all of you to get involved on a larger scale at JGA. We hope that you are all as excited as we are. For now though, let’s take a look back at all that we have accomplished in 2022.

Research 

JGA’S brilliant team of researchers is unrelenting in their efforts to find a treatment or a cure for Jordan’s Syndrome. All of that hard work is truly paying off, and our team has had incredible breakthroughs in the last 6 months.
 
Our JGA research team met in Palm Springs on December 11th for a full day workshop of sharing, brainstorming, and planning research next steps. We are so excited to share that we are closer than ever to finding a treatment that can help our children.  
 
Mice clinical trials are showing tremendous promise. After screening many FDA approved drugs or drugs currently in clinical trials, our team has identified a winning lead! Mice with Jordan’s Syndrome showed improvement in spatial awareness, memory and cognition after being treated!! While we have a lot more work to do, we can’t help but be excited with the findings and its significance for our community. 
 
Our team will be ramping up mice clinical trials in 2023, collecting additional data, and possibly positioning us to start human clinical trials in 2024. We will keep you all updated as more data become available.

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Click here to hear from our lead researcher Dr. Wendy Chung about the latest findings.
 
As always, we thank our researchers for all of their diligence, commitment, care and concern for our children. Without them, nothing would be possible.

Community

Our global community grows every week. We now have approximately 341 people in 36 countries diagnosed with Jordan’s Syndrome and we know that thousands more are out there. We are proud that together we are spreading the word about Jordan’s Syndrome worldwide and helping to make medical providers aware of Jordan’s Syndrome and JGA.

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Conference

The true highlight of the year for our JGA Team was our family conference held in July in New York City. It was a dream come true to have 65 of our families together under one roof to learn, laugh, hug, dance, and exchange ideas.
 
The event was not only a family reunion but also necessary to move our research forward. 70 blood samples were collected, 50 clinical data points were gathered and 30 EEG’s were taken. A huge success!!

 
Click here to watch our Family Conference 2022 Recap Video
 
We are looking forward to another JGA Family Conference in 2024. Details to come soon regarding dates and location!

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Partnerships

Your JGA Team worked hard in 2022 to tell the world about Jordan’s Syndrome and Jordan’s Guardian Angels and expand our reach in the rare disease space. We are proud to announce we have now partnered with multiple important rare disease groups to help get the word out and work together to change the lives of children and adults with rare disease.
 
To date, our partnerships include The Rare Epilepsy Network (REN), The EveryLife Foundation, Rare Disease Legislative Advocates (RDLA), Global Genes, Rare Revolution Magazine, Patient Worthy, National Organization of Rare Diseases (NORD), Extra Lucky Moms, Rare., Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, and more.
 
Jordan's Guardian Angels is proud to announce we have joined The Epilepsy Foundation, The Rare Epilepsy Network, and a coalition of other organizations in support of Seizure Safe Schools legislation.
 
We are also expanding our role in the world of advocacy taking part in the Rare Disease Legislative Advocates Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill. Members of the JGA team networked with other rare disease patients and advocates, discussed important legislation with lawmakers, and learned so much from others on the front lines bringing change to patients’ lives.
 
Advocacy is top of mind for our team but also for our families. Many of our families stepped up at our Family Conference and asked how they can help to advocate for legislation that benefits the rare disease community.
 
Now, we are thrilled to share that Jordan’s Guardian Angels was invited by the Everylife Foundation to join their Community Congress. It is our hope that we can elevate ourselves in the advocacy space.
 
Community congress is dedicated to bringing patient organizations, industry leaders, and other rare disease stakeholders together in a strategic advisor council. The council provides advice and insight on urgent policy issues, programs and initiatives. We will keep you posted as to how you can help as we learn more.
 
Jordan’s Guardian Angels is also quickly becoming a model for other foundations beginning their rare disease journey. We have met with several groups including our 3CA contingent to help support them as they begin their journey, and we have met with others who recently received a rare disease diagnosis and are hoping to have the success that Jordan’s Guardian Angels is having in finding a treatment or a cure. We are paying it forward and hoping that in supporting these groups and many others, they will do the same.
 
There are 7,000 rare diseases known worldwide and 25-30 million people live with one. That’s 1 in 10 Americans living with rare disease right now. Joining forces with these far-reaching groups will truly help to move our cause forward and bring Jordan’s Syndrome and Jordan’s Guardian Angels to the forefront in the rare disease space.

Shine Like Ozzie

We hold space in our hearts every day for sweet Ozzie Deason and all of the children in our community who have passed away due to Jordan’s Syndrome. We want their lights to shine forever.
 
We are thrilled to share that the Shine Like Ozzie Scholarship will return once again this year. Our $1,000 Shine Like Ozzie Scholarship will once again open on Ozzie’s Birthday, December 31st. The scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students studying anything related to Epilepsy.
 
Please help us to spread the word. Submissions will be accepted through January 31,2023 and a winner will be announced on rare disease day February 28, 2023.

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Podcast/Blog/Website

35 episodes strong, our podcast, ‘A Rare Reality’ is on the rise. It is now regarded as one of Patient Worthy’s top rare disease podcasts to listen to, and we are gaining followers on a regular basis. If you haven’t checked it out, please take a moment to do so. Our conversations are both JGA and Jordan’s Syndrome specific and rare disease broad, covering topics that truly hit home for so many. The podcasts are available on all major platforms, or if you prefer, the entire conversation with video is on our website. Click here to listen!
 
Our website also got a facelift this year, streamlining it to simplify your user experience. If you haven’t yet taken a moment to look at the resource center, please do so. There you will find all of the important documents you need on your journey with Jordan’s Syndrome. And while you’re there, take a moment to read our blog! There is an incredible amount of detailed information there including recaps of our major fundraisers, our family conference and much more. Click here for the resource center and here for the blog.

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Family Involvement

We want to take a moment to thank all of our families and supporters who have taken the time and effort to fundraise for and/or get involved in special roles at JGA, or both! Your work for our children is truly driving this research and for that we are extremely grateful.
 
As our community grows, we asked our families to step up and help our global reach. The Ambassador Program was launched this summer and already has representatives in numerous regions around the world. The Ambassadors are key to enable access to our communities across the globe, to support new families in their on boarding as they find us and to push us as a foundation to truly grow our mission globally. We would love to expand the program further, so please reach out if you are interested in becoming an Ambassador.
 
Many of our families have been looking for ways to get more involved with our efforts. The Special Projects committee is a way to help move JGA’s mission forward to better support individuals with Jordan’s Syndrome. The committee has really pushed the needle by acting as advisors who help identify gaps and brainstorm solutions. We thank everyone that actively contributed to this initiative and we look forward to another year of growth ahead.
 
Our sibling population is also top of mind here at JGA. We are constantly looking at new and innovative ways to support our siblings. To that end, we have tapped Lexi Levine, a JGA Sibling, to head up our Halo Project, a support system for our siblings. Lexi has received specialty training from Sib Shops to better serve our community. Her classes received rave reviews at our Family Conference, and we look forward to having many more opportunities for our siblings to come together in 2023.
 
There are big and exciting changes coming on the fundraising and involvement end of things at JGA in 2023. Stay tuned for more on who will be joining our team and helping to move these efforts forward and get each of you involved. We can’t wait to see what this global group can do to help find a treatment or a cure for our kids.

Recognition

Jordan’s Guardian Angels is quickly gaining recognition including top honors from Global Genes, a leading rare disease patient advocacy organization. The group announced its annual Rare Champions of Hope Awards September 13th in San Diego, California. The night’s top honor went to the Rare Founder Award recipients Cynthia and Joe Lang, our very own co-founders of Jordan’s Guardian Angels.
 
This award recognizes those who exhibit commitment to connecting, empowering and inspiring the rare disease community through lifetime contributions and achievements advocating for people living with rare disease. We are so proud their incredible work is being recognized on a global stage.

JGA also was featured as part of a segment on The Today Show recently and was awarded $5,000 for all of the incredible work being done to find a treatment or a cure for Jordan’s Syndrome. We can’t thank NBC Universal enough for sharing our story and look forward to sharing more in the future.

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Look Ahead (High-Level Goals, Themes, Research)

2023 is shaping up to be a massive year for Jordan’s Guardian Angels. There are incredible strides being made on the research front, our JGA Team is expanding and we are evolving to meet your needs.
 
As with every year, our team came together to look ahead and decide on our high-level goals for the year ahead which for 2023 focus on Access, Advocate, Communicate, Educate, Fundraise, Research and Support.

Access: Creating opportunities for connection between the patient community, the medical advisory board and the foundation.

Advocate: Pushing forward the greater rare disease agenda through legislation, partnerships and empowering the patient community to work for the greater good.

Communicate: Engage and deliver information to our global community, our families, our stakeholders, the medical community, and the world.

Educate: Informing the medical, the patient communities, and the public about all things Jordan’s Syndrome. (Symptoms, ways to diagnose, therapies, care before the cure, and research efforts.)

Fundraise: Grow current opportunities while looking at new and innovative ways to engage our families and new donors to raise funds in support of JGA’s mission.
 
Research: Continue to drive efforts in partnership with our research team to find a treatment and or a cure for Jordan’s Syndrome.
 
Support: Bring comfort and assistance to our families and sibling groups by bringing them together and providing an emotional support system and financial assistance when necessary. 
 
Each of these goals has numerous subgoals to make sure that no stone is unturned for this community. We are truly here for you, supporting you every step of the way.
 
We have also implemented monthly themes as you can see below. Our hope is that by providing themes for each month we can bring you topical, important, informative, and helpful information to better support our ever-changing community. There are so many ways for you to get involved and we look forward to sharing those ways with you in January during our ‘Get Connected with JGA’ month.
 

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Thank You

Jordan’s Guardian Angels is now a recognized global name. We are growing, evolving, and leaving a mark on the rare disease space and we will continue to do so. This team - your JGA Team and our Research Team -  are dedicated to changing the world. With your help the sky is the limit. We thank you for all that you have done in 2022, and we can’t wait for 2023.
 
With gratitude, Your JGA Team

Published

January 13, 2023

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Journey to a Cure: 2020 Midterm Research Update

Journey to a Cure is a comprehensive update on our global research efforts, during the first 18 months of an international research project led by Jordan’s Guardian Angels into the PPP2R5D gene mutation also known as Jordan’s Syndrome.

Research was expanded to include studying two neighboring genes, PPP2R1A and PPP2R5C. It is believed that this family of genes are closely related and studying them as a group is essential to unlocking the mystery of the disease.

The progress in this short time period has been unprecedented as the team moves with a great sense of urgency working to improve the lives of the children and families affected and follow linkages to other diseases. Working collaboratively, the research team has accomplished in this short time, what would normally take 4-6 years.

Click here, or on the image below, to read the full report on our progress!

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Published

August 26, 2020

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Momentum Building: 2019 Year-in-Review

In 2019, the Jordan’s Guardian Angels global community of families and researchers pushed ahead, making significant strides on our journey to cure Jordan's Syndrome, a mutuation on the gene PPP2R5D.

Our brilliant researchers are working together collaboratively in a way the science world has never seen, helping establish a roadmap for treating not only Jordan's Syndrome, but other rare genetic conditions. Our families around the world are united, dedicated to finding answers for our children. And none of this would be possible without the incredible support we receive from communities across the world.

Our Families

  • Our community grew from 78 families to 120 families this year!
  • We had our second family conference in March in the San Francisco area, where families from all over the world joined together with the entire research team to learn about the latest breakthroughs.
  • Click here for an in-depth look at the potential worldwide impacts, and watch the video below to experience the family conference!

Our Research

  • We held two in-person workshops in Chicago and New York, and bi-monthly virtual labs with the entire research team as they continue their amazing work.
  • Our wonderful research team made significant progress in their efforts to find a treatment and a cure for our children over the last year. In the words of lead medical investigator Dr. Wendy Chung, our toolbox is full.
  • We now have iPSCs derived from our children, mice models for , and nanobodies for each variation.
  • At our recent research team meeting in New York City, we learned the team has made great progress in understanding how the mutation works, which will help focus their search for a cure.
  • Our researchers believe the PPP2R5D mutation may be connected to some of our greatest medical mysteries, including autism, Alzheimer's, and cancer – and potentially much, much more.

Getting the Word Out

  • Our website traffic is increasing at a substantial rate and our videos have been shared and seen by tens of thousands of people all over the world.
  • The San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins welcomed JGA to their ballparks, showing us on the big screen with our message visible for more than 50,000 people to see.
  • The San Francisco 49ers also mentioned JGA on their social media accounts, where millions of people were able to gain more awareness about our efforts.

Our Community

  • Many fundraising events have been held around the globe.
  • The North Dakota Gala and the Golf Tournament raised more than $215,000.
  • Our annual Lake Tahoe fundraiser also raised an additional $200,000.
  • In addition, we are SO proud of our families who have also stepped up and raised over $52,000 through in-person and Facebook events. So much to be thankful for!

We have much work to do, but we are well on our way to making our children's – and the world's – future as bright as possible. We owe it to ALL of our children. Here's to another amazing year in 2020!

Follow our journey and connect with our community on social media!

www.facebook.com/PPP2R5D

www.twitter.com/PPP2R5D

Published

January 11, 2020

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VIDEO: JGA Researchers Nearing Breakthrough

In beautiful Lake Tahoe, California, the Jordan's Guardian Angels team came together to hear about the latest breakthroughs in our mission to cure Jordan's Syndrome, a mutation on the gene PPP2R5D.

Watch the video below to learn about the incredible advancements our research team is making, a journey we couldn't make without the incredible generosity of our international community.

To connect with our global community, visit https://www.facebook.com/PPP2R5D/.

Published

November 22, 2019

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Connect With Us

Contact Info

1121 L St, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95814

Jordan’s Guardian Angels is a public charity exempt from Federal Income Tax as an organization described in Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, EIN 90-1022228. Contributions to Jordan’s Guardian Angels are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. No goods or services were provided in consideration for the contributions except as reported above.