Why do you see so many fundraising emails and posts for SLC6A1 Connect? Where does all this money go? I have wondered this since first talking with SLC6A1 Connect CEO and Founder, Amber Freed, after my daughter’s diagnosis in early November 2020. Amber outlined two parallel tracks the organization was Read more…
Dear Family, Friends and Supporters of SLC6A1 Connect, As Rare Disease Day 2023 is upon us, we are still fighting every day for our children to have the best chance they can have at life. We didn’t ask or hope to be here, again. We don’t want to be begging Read more…
Hello again! In continuation of Rare Disease Week, we want to talk specifically about the rare disease that affects our kids and families, SLC6A1 Epileptic Encephalopathy. SLC6A1 epileptic encephalopathy is a rare neurological condition in children that causes seizures, severe movement and speech disorders, and intellectual disability. As rare disease parents, we simply cannot Read more…
We’re so excited to share a big win for our community. This is happening because of our selfless donors that walk alongside of us every single day. In thanks to our support, SLC6A1 Connect is funding a clinical trial to repurpose an FDA approved drug named Ravicti made by Horizon Read more…
Mila was born 10 years ago in Boulder, Colorado to an adoring mother named Julia Vitarello. Beautiful and energetic from the start, Mila was a little girl whose personality drew others in naturally. Even as a three-year-old, she used her captivating smile, repertoire of Frozen songs and her soft touch Read more…
Our small, closely knit, rare disease community lost one of our heroes. I have contemplated sharing this information because frankly, it makes it hard to breathe. When I saw the other mother’s post, my mind nearly imploded with grief and fear. I tried to push it out of mind so Read more…
We all need a little hope as we close out this incredibly unique year. 2020 brought a lot of pain and setbacks to our fight for a cure, but it did not squash our hope and determination to keep fighting for these innocent kids. This year also brought out a Read more…
2020 has been nothing short of a dumpster fire of a year. I kept joking that Biblical locusts were about to descend upon the world. The joke was pretty funny until videos of locusts taking over the Middle East interrupted my nightly celebrity news on Page Six. But what Read more…
Only 4% of Federal Research Funding is Dedicated to Pediatric Cancer and the 5-year Survival Rate is 2%. Rare Pediatric Diseases are Mostly a Death Sentence for a Life that Never Began. Today is a terrible anniversary for my dear friends, Chris & Chantal Pittman. My family was entrenched in Read more…
Maxwell was newly diagnosed with SLC6A1 and no doctor knew anything about it. More disheartening, no doctor wanted to learn. I was feverishly reading anything I could get my hands on that could help my innocent little baby. I was full of ideas and hope for an appointment with a neurologist, Read more…