Our foundation is a Nationally recognized 501(c)(3) charity named after 12-year-old Brittany Balser, who, after a 4-week fight with the disease in Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, lost her life to TTP. The foundation is a public charity dedicated to raising funds to work with doctors and medical centers around the United States who are actively using their medical knowledge, and their resources to find a better cure for this horrible disease.
The foundation is named after 12-year-old Brittany Balser, who, after a 4-week fight with the disease in Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, lost her life to TTP. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is a rare blood disease that primarily strikes females ages 20–50, but recently has afflicted younger girls ages 12 to 14. Due to the rarity of the disease, the doctors at Children’s Hospital had very little medical information or experience with which to treat it. The fact that it is a rare blood disease has meant that little has been done to fund research and development of new and better ways to diagnose and treat it.
Our Goals:
- To publish and distribute a publication that will describe the mortality rate and risks involved with TTP. The publication will include all medical aspects of the disease and give those that are afflicted with the disease a clear description of the treatment options that are involved with the disease. This publication will be authored by Dr. James George of The Oklahoma Blood Institute together with Dr. Spero Cataland of Ohio State University, and will be distributed to medical facilities across the United State States and Northern America.
- To raise funds that will be distributed to the Ohio State Medical Research Foundation that funds Dr. Spero Cataland's research into new advances that will reduce the mortality risks associated with TTP. Dr. Cataland is spear heading the research into fighting this rare and fatal blood disease.
- The foundation is dedicated to the promotion of the awareness of organ donation by partnering with Lifeline of Ohio to distribute information at all benefit shows.
The foundation is dedicated to raising funds to work with doctors and medical centers around the United States who are actively using their medical knowledge, and their resources to find a better cure for this horrible disease. Our foundation will be working closely with Dr. James George of The Oklahoma Blood Institute. Dr. George is one of the leading experts involved in the study of the disease. He publishes a TTP newsletter and has had his medical research published in various medical journals.
We hope to become a major force in bringing awareness of the disease and its effect on people who become afflicted with the disease. Many medical centers in the United States do not have adequate medical resources on this disease, and it is often very hard for physicians to diagnose.
The fact remains that thrombotic thrombocytopenic pupura is a dangerous disorder with substantial acute mortality along with uncertain long-term prognosis. This is the reason that this organization will help the medical profession learn more about the TTP so they can provide better diagnostic precision, less perilous treatment, and improved ability for doctors to advise patients about risks for disabilities and possible relapse.
All those involved in the foundation hope that other families will gain more knowledge of the sickness which afflicts their loved one. With new insight into treatment, these families may not have to go through the experience of losing a beautiful daughter at the young age of 12 — or at any age.
Fundraising efforts through the generosity of corporations, music artists (local and national), and athletes at all levels will be very significant to the future outcome of this endeavor.
From our hearts, we personally would like to thank ALL of those sponsors and volunteers that have helped to make this charity a viable source to fight this deadly and rare disease.