Volunteer Spotlight- Kristine Alderfer

As a member of the Cure JM community, you have likely heard the name Kristine Alderfer, a devoted parent of a teen with JM who has become a leader, serving as the President of our Board of Directors.

Kristine has been involved in Cure JM through volunteer roles for many years, and her involvement has become a family affair, as her daughter Katherine is a patient advocate for others with the disease. For over a decade, the Alderfer family has volunteered their time and talents to deliver a lasting impact on our mission. The family has hosted countless JM research fundraisers, including Christmas Shop for a Cure, Evening Under The Stars, and Cure JM marathons.

Most recently, Kristine has taken her leadership to new heights, serving as the Volunteer Chair of Cure JM’s National Family Conference.

We would like to thank the Alderfer family for carrying out the work that supports our community. Click below to hear about Kristine and Katherine’s rare disease journey.

Read Kristine’s Story

Walking Strong – Empowered by Unity

Like other teens new to the JM journey, Catie Beth Caldwell and Madi Cook were two individuals who felt alone at the beginning of their journeys. Catie Beth was diagnosed just before the Covid-19 pandemic took hold of the world as we knew it. With this came feelings of isolation and loneliness. These emotions were commonplace for many teens but were only compounded by teens new to a rare disease diagnosis. These first years of the “new normal” were difficult to navigate.

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

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