Community

Our hearts are broken for everyone affected by the horrible tragedy at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. This one hits very close to home as two of the victims, the Rosenthal brothers, Cecil and David had Fragile X syndrome.

“Cecil’s laugh was infectious,” said Chris Schopf, Achieva’s vice president of residential supports. He added, “David was so kind and had such a gentle spirit. Together, they looked out for one another. They were inseparable. Most of all, they were kind, good people with a strong faith and respect for everyone around.”

Over the years, Brett saw a lot of the older boys becoming Eagle Scouts and decided he wanted to get his Eagle Rank, too. Carl explained the process and Brett said, “Let’s do it”. Everything wasn’t smooth sailing and Brett encountered some obstacles. After Brett decided that he wanted to continue in scouting and get his Eagle Rank, the highest rank the Boy Scouts can achieve, we realized that there were some required merit badges that Brett would never be able to get because some of the requirements were just too difficult for him. The cool thing was that Boy Scouts offered an alternative path for special needs scouts.

Jessica Haugen and Jeff Eliason received the phone call every parent dreads in October 2012. Their son’s pediatrician told them their son, Larry, then 1, had Fragile X syndrome (FXS) and “there’s nothing you can do about it.” The couple reacted similarly to how other newly diagnosed parents receiving these results. Denial. Discouragement. Depression.

Thanks to your generous support, we surpassed our annual appeal goal of $600,000 and are one step closer to finding effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for Fragile X syndrome. From November 6 to December 31, collectively we raised over $760,000 from over 1,000 donors! This means we will also receive the matching gift of $600,000 from the Sunshine Lady Foundation! We’d like to express our sincere gratitude to all of our donors who generously gave to FRAXA Research Foundation in 2017 and look forward to continuing the promising translational Fragile X research momentum in 2018.

Co-Founder Kathy May returns after two decades to write grants. It’s about discovering new forms of treatments to enhance the mental, emotional and social growth of those affected by Fragile X. “And there will be a cure,” she said. “FRAXA is the reason for this hope. I have come full circle to FRAXA and feeling more hopeful than I have in many years.”

Rolling Stone Magazine published a powerful article by award-winning writer, Paul Solotaroff, featuring his son, Luke. Luke is 17 years old and has Fragile X syndrome. What will happen when Luke becomes an adult and no longer has a right to schooling? During his research, Paul visited the Shared Living Collaborative in Merrimac, MA. This is the program where my son, Andy, age 28, works (and plays) during his days. Perhaps it can serve as a model for other programs around the country.

FRAXA Research Foundation is fortunate to attract volunteers and interns from universities far and wide. FRAXA has just four staff on the payroll (three of whom are part time), to keep expenses low and devote your donations to Fragile X research. That also means we are very grateful to our volunteers! This past summer we were joined at the FRAXA Newburyport, MA office by Emily Fluet, a student who had completed her freshman year at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Emily has transformed two FRAXA publications into online resources available to all: Fragile X – A to Z and Medication Guide for Fragile X.

Undergraduate students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) complete what is known as the Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP). Student groups work closely with local or national sponsors during their junior year to complete a project that benefits their community. Two student groups from WPI are working with FRAXA to provide research-based improvements to the FRAXA.org website, and to develop a mobile FRAXA app.

Makenzie is our lovely angel. Life is surely challenging for her and for us as parents raising a child with special needs. She has some developmental delays with a high level of anxiety. She loves going to school every day and she plays many sports like her peers in a league for children with disabilities. We are truly hoping for a cure to increase her quality of life like all the children deserve on this earth. We want her to be happy and proud of herself as much that we are of her. In 2008, our family in Canada started a fundraiser to raise money for the Fragile X research. They started making all kind of crafts and selling them. All the profits are sent to FRAXA in honor of our daughter who was diagnosed at 16 months old with Fragile X syndrome.