Guild Announcements

Please join us Saturday, September 13, 2008 for our 6th Annual 'Cure for Mito' Auction and Dinner at the majestic and very private Nestle Training Center in Carnation, Washington. This historic 817-acre facility, originally Carnation Farm, includes spectacular views, award winning gardens, a fire pit and upscale overnight accommodations, all of which will be available exclusively for our guests this evening. Please check out the auction flyer or auction page for more information.

Nestle Training Center Slideshow

Do you want to make a donation to the guild through your annual giving campaign at work? Or, make donations directly to the guild or donate items for the annual auction? Please visit the donations page.

The Mitochondrial Research Guild of Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center is pleased to announce funding for its first small grant program. Visit our grants page to find out more.

What is Mitochondrial disease?

Imagine a plant that is unable to make use of the sun and water surrounding it. Over time the plant will not function properly and will show signs of distress, its leaves will begin to wilt and eventually it could die. That is what happens to people with mitochondrial disease.

Everyday, we consume food to make the energy our body needs to function. If our mitochondria are not functioning correctly then the body's organs begin to suffer.

A person's brain can be impaired, their vision could become dim, their muscles can twitch spastically or they can become too weak to walk or write, their heart could be weakened, and they might not be able to eat and digest their food.

For large numbers of people, especially children, this is precisely the situation in which they find themselves due to defects in the mitochondria.

Depending on which cells are affected, a child can suffer from strokes, seizures, gastro-intestinal trouble, blindness, deafness, muscle failure, diabetes, kidney and heart trouble, developmental delays, immune system problems and liver disease.

Whole systems within a body can begin to fail and the life of the child is compromised, changed or ended.

Experts estimate that one in 2,000 babies may inherit some kind of mitochondrial illness and some experts are saying that the number could be as high as 1 in 1,000. 10% to 50% of these children will die before their teenage years.

Currently there is no cure.

Defects in mitochondrial function have now been linked to many of the most common diseases of aging including Alzheimers, and Parkinsons.

For additional information on how you can help please contact Jill Herczog at j.herczog@verizon.net or Ashley Farrington at a.farrington2@verizon.net.