Overview
Founded in 2001 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Jett Foundation’s mission is to extend and enrich the lives of individuals affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular disorders. We fulfill this mission by partnering with individuals and families through empowering educational programming, transformational direct service experiences, and by accelerating development of life-changing treatments.
Jett Foundation began around a kitchen table, created by one mother who found out that her son was diagnosed with Duchenne, a rare, terminal form of muscular dystrophy. Duchenne is the most common fatal genetic disorder of children worldwide. It is a progressive neuromuscular disorder that causes the loss of muscle function and independence. Patients affected by Duchenne lose the ability to walk between the ages of 8 and 12, require respiratory support by their late teens and often survive only into their twenties. There are approximately 20,000 patients in the United States living with Duchenne.
Jett Foundation offers one-of-a kind programs and projects that are essential to the Duchenne and larger muscular dystrophy community. Through Jett Foundation’s family workshops, parent support groups and newly diagnosed care packages, patients and families affected by Duchenne are empowered with the knowledge, education, tools and support needed to become their own best advocates, to seek out the highest standard of care, the most promising clinical trials and scientific advancements, and the most cutting-edge and innovative treatments available. In addition Jett Foundation has been hosting Camp Promise since 2009, serving nearly 150 Campers each summer, the only over night camp in the country for individuals with neuromuscular disorders, that does not have an upper age limit. In 2017, Jett Foundation launched the Jett Giving Fund to provide accessibility equipment to families who cannot afford them, such as accessibility vans, rotation medical beds and stairlifts.