The Western Pennsylvania Mito Group of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF) is excited and energized to be able to reach out to the community to raise awareness, as well as support those who are fighting mitochondrial disease in our area. Whether you, someone you love, or someone you know is fighting this disease, let’s use our energy to raise awareness, support those affected by this disease, and provide the funding needed for research toward a cure.
- All of us have mitochondria; they are the power plants of the human cell.
- Mitochondrial disease affects people in many different ways. One person may suffer difficulty breathing, have uncontrollable seizures and/or digestive problems, while another may not be able to walk, talk, see or hear. Some live with debilitation while others may die.
- There is no known cure for mitochondrial disease.
- We know that between 1,000 and 4,000 people are born with a mitochondrial disease.
- Research also implicates mitochondrial dysfunction in many well‐known illnesses like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, some cancers, and autism spectrum disorders.
The UMDF’s mission is to promote research and education for the diagnosis, treatment and cure of mitochondrial disorders and to provide support to affected individuals and families. We are committed to increasing funding for mitochondrial disease research now – to alleviate the suffering of thousands who have this debilitating, incurable and often fatal disease and to develop better understand of and treatments for the many common illnesses and chronic conditions associated with it.
For more information about the Energy for Life Walkathon, visit www.energyforlifewalk.org/pittsburgh. To learn more about mitochondrial disease, go to www.UMDF.org.
