This is the national fundraiser for the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF). Energy for Life Walkathons are designed to be family-friendly events. The routes are designed to be one mile or three miles in length and are wheelchair and stroller accessible. Everyone can participate!
The Energy for Life model uses a “pledge based” fundraising strategy. This strategy is successful because it allows affected individuals, their family and friends to build a team and walk to raise awareness. It allows participants, especially those who have never heard of mitochondrial disease, to learn about the disease from those who are directly affected.
The United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF) focuses on coordination, communication and collaboration. We bring people and resources together to make an impact on diagnoses, treatments and a cure for mitochondrial disease.
Mitochondria are in the cells throughout our bodies, and they change food and oxygen into energy. When mitochondria malfunction, organs start to fail and people, including children, get sick and even die. The disease is difficult to diagnose because it affects every person differently – everything from seizures and strokes to blindness and muscle weakness.
UMDF provides support and information to patients and medical professionals, working tirelessly to get donors and decision-makers, like Congress, to back our efforts to fund research.
Our role has become even more urgent with the scientific linkage between mitochondrial dysfunction and diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes and autism, even the aging process itself. Like the enormous impact on mortality that bone marrow transplants have had for those suffering blood cancers … like the life-sustaining maintenance medications that have changed the course for AIDS patients … if we could break through and unlock the secrets to prevention and a cure for mitochondrial disease, it would truly be a game changer for millions.
