Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)
A voluntary health agency dedicated to conquering neuromuscular diseases that affect more than a million Americans.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association combats neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive medical and community services, and professional and public health education. With national headquarters in Tucson, Arizona, MDA has more than 200 offices across the country, sponsors 230 hospital-affiliated clinics, and supports nearly 400 research projects around the world. The association offers medical examinations, flu shots, support groups, MDA summer camps, and financial assistance to buy wheelchairs and leg braces.
The association supports more research on neuromuscular diseases than any other private organization in the world. MDA scientists have uncovered the genetic defects responsible for several forms of muscular dystrophy, including Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease), childhood spinal muscular atrophy, and several other neuromuscular conditions.
The association was created in 1950 by a group of adults with muscular dystrophy, parents of children with muscular dystrophy, and a physicianscientist studying the disorder. Since its earliest days it has been energized by its national chairman, entertainer Jerry Lewis, who hosts an annual Labor Day telethon in support of muscular dystrophy research.
The association’s programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors. The MDA seeks no government grants, United Way funding, or fees from those it serves.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association combats neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive medical and community services, and professional and public health education. With national headquarters in Tucson, Arizona, MDA has more than 200 offices across the country, sponsors 230 hospital-affiliated clinics, and supports nearly 400 research projects around the world. The association offers medical examinations, flu shots, support groups, MDA summer camps, and financial assistance to buy wheelchairs and leg braces.
The association supports more research on neuromuscular diseases than any other private organization in the world. MDA scientists have uncovered the genetic defects responsible for several forms of muscular dystrophy, including Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease), childhood spinal muscular atrophy, and several other neuromuscular conditions.
The association was created in 1950 by a group of adults with muscular dystrophy, parents of children with muscular dystrophy, and a physicianscientist studying the disorder. Since its earliest days it has been energized by its national chairman, entertainer Jerry Lewis, who hosts an annual Labor Day telethon in support of muscular dystrophy research.
The association’s programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors. The MDA seeks no government grants, United Way funding, or fees from those it serves.
Tags: conquering neuromuscular diseases, Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), voluntary health agency
Posted in Health and Wellness
