The Belnap Children Mito Research Fund
Life is a journey, not a destination
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
We are the parents of four wonderful children. All seemed to be going well in our home until the fall of 2008 when our youngest child, Seth, developed some unusual neurological symptoms. A new journey began and has taken us all over this country and world both physically and electronically. Our destinations became hospitals and doctor's appointments, not soccer games or soccer camps. Seth continued to deteriorate and no one knew what was wrong until we met Dr. Narayanan who diagnosed Seth with Mitochondrial Disease.
We thought the journey would only be with Seth, but as the journey continued, our oldest daughter was also diagnosed. Then, in the spring of 2012, we were broadsided with our oldest son, Spencer, who also was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease. This disease is terrible and discriminates against no one. Mitochondrial Disease has no cure and no effective treatments. We are determined to change this!
Dr. Narayanan and scientists at TGen began sequencing our family's genome searching for the genetic mutation; which was found in December 2012. TGen has given us hope. TGen has been an invaluable traveling partner. Our pledge to our children is we will do whatever it takes to help find better treatments and eventually a cure.
Thank you for your love and support,
The Belnaps