Energy For Life Walkathon

The New York Chapter of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation is holding its 4th annual Energy For Life Walkathon on Saturday September 21 at the Cheektowaga Town Park. We are excited to reach out to the community to raise awareness and raise funds to help support increased mitochondrial disease research. We are also proud to announce that Jennifer Schwartzott of Tonawanda is the UMDF’s 2013 recipient of the Stanley A. Davis Leadership Award. The award is the UMDF’s most prestigious national award honoring a UMDF Leader that best represents the selfless dedication and commitment to the UMDF Mission and advancing mitochondrial awareness. Schwartzott is co-chair of our local NY Chapter and has been a driving force in its progress.

There are over 500 affected individuals currently suffering from mito in WNY. Mitochondrial diseases are extremely complex and difficult to diagnose. The range of symptoms include: progressive muscle weakness; cardiac disease; liver disease; diabetes; gastrointestinal disorders; unexplained strokes and seizures; and susceptibility to infections. For affected children, these infections can be life-threatening and can cause irreversible progression of the disease.

They occur when the body’s mitochondria – “the power plants of our cells” – fail to convert food and oxygen into the energy our bodies need to run on. When the mitochondria fail, cells produce less and less energy and eventually die out. As this process repeats itself, the body’s systems can begin to fail leading to many of the symptoms above.

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in Alzheimer’s Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancers. Even autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus appear to have a mitochondrial basis.

We need to increase funding for mitochondrial disease research now. Experts believe that additional research into mitochondrial disease and mitochondrial dysfunction could open up a world of medical knowledge, ultimately helping to uncover better diagnostics and treatments not only for mitochondrial disease, but for the many common illnesses and chronic conditions associated with it that affect millions of Americans.

Help bring the UMDF one step closer to a cure! Join us on September 21 at Cheektowaga Town Park!