Good Afternoon Friends,
People with Down syndrome and other genetic intellectual disabilities need your help! Life changing treatments will soon be a reality, but there is so much more to do. There are approximately 400,000 individuals with Down syndrome in the U.S., but according to recent statistics only $20 million in federal funding is provided for Down syndrome research. Compare that to funding for cystic fibrosis which receives $79 million for a population of only about 30,000. Clearly, if Down syndrome research is going to progress, funding must come from private sources.
Donors in France provided $350,000 to researchers in the U.S. last year through the Jerome Lejeune Foundation. Encouraged by progress here, the Foundation is now writing a new chapter in its history of innovation. It is expanding its international presence and promise of hope to the U.S. through the establishment of the Jerome Lejeune USA Foundation. The U.S. Foundation is being built on the legacy of Dr. Lejeune and will more closely connect the Foundation to the Down syndrome research community in the U.S. where it already directs some of its research funding.
We are proud to present the first newsletter from the Jerome Lejeune USA Foundation, especially as we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. Please take some time to read about the exciting progress we are making with Down syndrome research. Your donation or sharing of this message with your friends—by email, on Twitter, or on Facebook—will go a long way to continuing the important research funded by the Jerome Lejeune USA Foundation.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Birthe Lejeune
Vice President
Jerome Lejeune Foundation, Paris
P.S. In addition to sharing this message with your friends, please Like Us on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter.
