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

Research Update: misbehaving Mitochondria Linked to Juvenile Dermatomyositis. Dr. Christian Lood

Breakthrough Discovery: Misbehaving Mitochondria Linked to Juvenile Dermatomyositis

The generous support of our community has been instrumental in funding groundbreaking research this year, led by Dr. Christian Lood at the University of Washington and Cure JM’s Center of Excellence at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Dr. Lood’s team has identified calcified mitochondria in the muscle tissue of JDM patients with calcinosis – a finding that sheds new light on understanding JDM

Unveiling the Future of Hope, Malloy and Heaton, September Town Hall 2024

Unveiling the Future of Hope

This expert-led presentation is for parents about how to help their kids and themselves when their kids express high levels of emotional distress. Our presenters will talk about ways parents can calm themselves, share tips for talking to kids with age-appropriate information, and know when to find help from a professional. There will be a Q&A session immediately following the presentation.

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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