Scholarship Rewards Students for Spreading LGMD Awareness

Students spread awareness about rare muscular dystrophies to win
scholarships

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–After the overwhelming success of the Jain Foundation Scholarship in its
inaugural year, the LGMD Awareness Scholarship program has been
extended. Four $3,000 scholarships will be awarded in 2016 to students
who teach others about LGMDs (limb-girdle muscular dystrophies). Any
student entering an accredited US post-secondary institution including
colleges, universities, technical schools, medical schools and graduate
programs is eligible to apply.

About 5,000 students applied last year and they spread awareness of
LGMDs to over 30,000 people. This year, students will learn about all
LGMDs and other muscle diseases with similar symptoms like Pompe, FSHD
(Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy) and HIBM (Hereditary inclusion
body myopathies). The scholarship focused on a single LGMD subtype last
year. By including more diseases and recruiting other rare disease
foundations to help advertise it, the scholarship will be even more
effective in spreading awareness of these rare diseases.

Students can apply on the foundation website or through an app on the
Jain Foundation Facebook page. For more information, visit www.jain-foundation.org/scholarship.

ABOUT LIMB-GIRDLE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHIES (LGMDs)

There are over 30 different types of LGMD, each caused by mutations in a
different gene. First symptoms may not appear until after childhood and
can include the inability to stand on toes or the inability to get up
from the floor without using arms. Individuals with advanced LGMD can
lose the ability to walk and lift their arms above their shoulders.

ABOUT THE SUPPORTING FOUNDATIONS

The scholarship is run by the Jain Foundation (www.jain-foundation.org),
a privately funded not-for-profit focused on finding therapies for
muscular dystrophies caused by dysferlin deficiency (LGMD2B/Miyoshi
myopathy). Other foundations supporting the scholarship: Cecil B. Day
Family, Inc.; Coalition to Cure Calpain 3; FSH Society; LGMD2D
Foundation; LGMD2I Research Fund; Kurt+Peter Foundation; Neuromuscular
Disease Foundation; Team Titin.

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Contacts

Jain Foundation
Elaine Lee, 425-882-1492
Research Program
Officer
scholarship@jain-foundation.org