Closed off from his family and the world - how JP began to stand on his own

Support the MGH Fund     In my last email I told you about JP, a five-year-old boy who was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Duplication 15q syndrome, also known as "Dup15q." Dup15q affects every child differently, and in JP's case, it was causing him to have dozens of seizures per day — closing him off from his family and the world. Fortunately, JP's parents found the Dup15q Clinic at MassGeneral Hospital for Children — where doctors have helped dozens of families over the past five years. With our September 30 fiscal year-end quickly approaching, I want to remind you of the importance of the MGH Fund — and ask for your renewed support with a gift of $35, $50 or $100 during this time of financial uncertainty. The integrated approach at the Dup15qClinic enabled doctors to treat JP with a high-fat, low carbohydrate diet. Called a ketogenic diet, this ground-breaking approach has been used by MGH doctors to treat seizures for more than 100 years. Within days of starting the diet, breaks began to appear in JP's seizure pattern. First they decreased from once every 2-3 minutes to once every 5-7, and within months, JP was having just a few seizures a day. He began to stand on his own and make eye contact with his mom and dad for the first time in years. Mass General depends on you to be able to support life-saving research and treatment wherever it happens. That's why I'm hoping you will renew your support with an urgently needed gift of $35, $50 or $100 to the MGH Fund today. Your contribution will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to $100,000 thanks to MGH Fund donor Jennifer K. Bemis, if you give by September 30 — our deadline for the fiscal year. You can help ensure that Mass General is able to provide life-saving, state-of-the-art care to thousands of patients from around the world — patients like JP — each and every day. Sincerely, Peter L. Slavin, MD President, Massachusetts General Hospital P.S. Don't miss your chance to help families like the Peters family by making a gift of $35, $50 or $100 to the MGH Fund. Mass General gave them hope when hope was in short supply — but we can't do it without you.       About the MGH Fund   The MGH Fund supports Mass General's areas of greatest need. When you donate to the MGH Fund, your contribution helps us advance patient care initiatives, seed innovative biomedical research, expand our community and global health efforts, and educate the future leaders of medicine.   Make My Gift Now!         © 2017 Massachusetts General Hospital