Grandparent Council

What is the Grandparent Council? 

We are grandparents of a grandchild living with juvenile myositis. 

Our mission as grandparents is to learn about juvenile myositis and support each other so we can support our grandchildren and their families.  We also help advance Cure JM’s mission to give our grandchildren the best shot at a bright future ahead.

Our Goals Are: 

To connect with other grandparents.  We’re stronger together. By connecting with other grandparents and learning their stories, we can better understand juvenile myositis and how we can support our grandchildren and their siblings and families.  

To support our grandchildren and their families.  Through the Grandparent Council, grandparents will be introduced to other grandparents and can connect with other grandparents to learn how they support their grandchildren.

To learn about Juvenile Myositis.  Juvenile Myositis care and research is an emerging field.  By learning about this disease, we can best support our families. 

To make a difference for our grandchildren.  Grandparents have expressed interest in getting involved.  By getting involved, we can move Cure JM’s mission forward for our grandchildren.  This will help give our grandchildren the best shot possible at a full life ahead. Many hands make light work. 

When does the Grandparent Council meet? 

The Grandparent Council meets monthly by phone.  The monthly phone meetings are a chance for Grandparents to connect with each other and plan the work of the Grandparent Council.  

The Grandparent Council meeting will also have occasional guest speakers, such as researchers and physicians, who will give updates on the latest in juvenile myositis research and care.  These sessions give Grandparents a chance to learn and ask questions of the researchers and physicians. 

We also meet in person every other year at the Cure JM Family Conference.

All grandparents are invited to participate. To be added to the invitation list, please contact Betsy Leon at Betsy.Leon@curejm.org

Grandparent Council Leadership– Randy Putt

Austin Krainz’s Story

Austin Krainz, diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis at the age of seven, overcame the challenges of a rare disease with the support of his family and pioneering treatment from Dr. Lauren Pachman. After more than a decade of battling the illness, Austin entered remission, fulfilling his childhood dream of professional racing in Porsche’s GT America series.

Affordable and Accessible Treatments for JM

Affordable and Accessible Treatments for JM

Two special guest speakers, Michelle Vogel, MPA, IV Solutions RX, and Laurel Cherwin, BSN, RN, IgCN, Octapharma, shared information on navigating affordable treatments and care for JM patients.

Join Cure JM

Membership is free and we’ll connect you with a network of support, encouragement, and resources.

Cure JM supports families, patients, and the juvenile myositis research community.

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