Foundation Fighting Blindness

Spotlight on Geographic Atrophy (GA): Meet Toni Mehler 👁️🗨️ Toni’s inspiring journey shows how resilience, tools, and resources can empower people with GA to thrive. Her story is a testament to the power of hope and the Foundation's mission to drive research and support for those with AMD. Read Toni’s full Beacon story and see how we’re illuminating the path forward for the GA community: https://bit.ly/3VwwrIS Video Description: Toni walks outside by a lake and mountains giving advice on how to manage a diagnosis of AMD.

This week, we’re shining a Spotlight on Geographic Atrophy! 👁️🗨️ Geographic atrophy (GA) causes the loss of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and a layer of capillaries under the retina, leading to photoreceptor damage and central vision loss. Over time, people with GA develop blind spots (scotomas) that grow. By raising awareness, we’re advancing research for treatments and cures. Learn more about GA on our website at: https://lnkd.in/erPctV7v Image Description: Dark blue background with the Foundation Fighting Blindness and Spotlight on Geographic Atrophy logo in top left corner. Text below that reads, “Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that leads to progressive vision loss.” An illustration of a DNA strand to the right.

Thank you for helping us celebrate #GivingTuesday! With you by our side, so many with blinding diseases feel hope, inspiration, and connection as we make real progress toward the next sight-saving breakthrough. Missed us on Giving Tuesday? Don't worry, there's still time to donate! Support sight-saving research today at: https://lnkd.in/dVuR-Bk Image Description: Mav holds a fish and smiles to the right against a dark blue background with a thin, green border. Foundation Fighting Blindness and Giving Tuesday logos in top left corner, followed by text that reads "Thank you for bringing hope to people like Mav!"

On this week's episode of the Eye on the Cure Podcast, Dr. Robert Bell, Chief Scientific Officer at Ascidian Therapeutics, joins host Ben Shaberman to explore STELLAR—the company's Phase 1/2 clinical trial for its emerging RNA-rewriting therapy for Stargardt disease (ABCA4 mutations). Dr. Bell dives into: 🔬 Stargardt disease 🧬 RNA’s vital role in cells 💡 How RNA-rewriting stands out as a promising treatment Don’t miss this fascinating conversation! Learn more about streaming at: https://bit.ly/3D6iHys #StargardtDisease #GeneticResearch #RNATherapy Image Description: Dark blue background with Foundation Fighting Blindness logo in the top left and Eye on the Cure Podcast logo in the top right. Teal half circle at the top center with "Ep. 77" inside. Below, text reads, "Listen to the latest podcast episode out now. December 6, 2024." To the left is Ben Shaberman with "Ben Shaberman, Host" beneath. To the right is Bob Bell with "Dr. Bob Bell, Guest" below.

Meet Dr. Yoshikazu Imanishi, a first-time Foundation Fighting Blindness grant recipient! With support from the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Nixon’s Vision Foundation, Dr. Imanishi is conducting groundbreaking research at Indiana University to tackle PRPH2-related retinal dystrophies. 🧬✨ His work focuses on understanding how PRPH2 mutations affect protein trafficking in photoreceptor cells, aiming to develop new therapies for conditions like retinitis pigmentosa and macular dystrophies. Stay tuned as we continue to spotlight our grant and award recipients who are making strides in vision research. Together, we’re fueling hope and innovation in the fight against blinding diseases. 💙 Image Description: Dr. Yoshikazu Imanishi, on the right-hand side, in front of a dark blue background. In the top left corner is a green banner with text that reads "Awardee Spotlight," followed by more text below that reads "$500,000; PRPH2 and Associate Retinal Diseases (PARD) Science Award." Below the text is a gold, "first time recipient" badge and the Foundation Fighting Blindness logo. A banner across the bottom reads "Yoshikazu Imanishi, PhD; Indiana University."

✨ Join Us at the 3rd Annual Blind Health Expo! ✨ The world’s largest virtual event dedicated to healthcare, blindness, and disability communities is happening THIS Friday, December 6, 2024! Michelle Glaze, Andrew Kim, and Ben Shaberman of the Foundation Fighting Blindness are proud to be hosting a virtual booth at this incredible event. Discover cutting-edge products, services, and resources tailored for individuals, organizations, and companies in our shared community. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and explore all the Expo has to offer! Register and find more details at: https://lnkd.in/gcsX6jfG

Don't forget to join us for our upcoming Insights Forum today at 11:00 A.M. ET. To register, please visit https://bit.ly/4iADhav Image Description: Dark blue background with the Foundation Fighting Blindness logo at the top. Below it, the text reads "Insights Forum Quarterly Update." The event date and time are listed as "Thursday, December 5, 2024, 11:00 a.m. ET." Geometric lines and a colorful digital wave are featured at the bottom.

This #GivingTuesday, join us in our mission to drive life-changing research breakthroughs for blinding diseases! Treatments and cures would mean so much to many individuals in our community, and the Foundation Fighting Blindness is dedicated to continuing our vital work until that’s a reality for all. And every dollar you give today will be doubled up to $50,000, so miss this chance to make twice the difference: https://lnkd.in/dVuR-Bk Video Description: The Foundation Fighting Blindness and Share Your Vision logos in the top right corner with text below that reads, “#ShareYourVision.” A blue banner with text that reads each individuals name and disease appears in the bottom left corner. [0:00 to 0:10] Tim Smith, retinitis pigmentosa. [0:10 to 0:14] Fai Mo, retinitis pigmentosa. [0:14 to 0:24] Cassie Lotas, Macular Dystrophy. [0:24 to 0:38] James Ashworth, rod-cone dystrophy. Closing card with Foundation Fighting Blindness logo and button that reads "Double My Gift."

It’s #GivingTuesday! Your gift today will be matched, bringing hope to people like Mav, his family, and the 1 in 53 people globally with blinding diseases. At just six years old, Mav was diagnosed with X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS), but thanks to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, his family found immediate support and hope. The next research breakthrough is right around the corner, but we need your help to get there. Support Mav and others with blinding diseases today: https://lnkd.in/dVuR-Bk Video Description: Clips of Mav partaking in activities he enjoys, including cutting the ribbon at VisionWalk, paddle boarding, golfing, fishing, and playing baseball, ending with a clip of Mav standing indoors speaking directly to the camera. Closing card with Foundation Fighting Blindness logo and button that reads "Double My Gift."

I am to join Dr. Kia Washington and a team of experts in an Whole Eye Transplant R&D effort. Please read below: 📢 Transformative Breakthrough Effort in Vision Restoration! The Foundation Fighting Blindness, in partnership with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and other leading institutions, has secured up to $46 million to advance whole-eye transplant research. This unprecedented initiative aims to fast-track breakthroughs in vision restoration, offering new hope for individuals affected by severe vision loss. The collaboration emphasizes cutting-edge research and innovation, setting the stage for revolutionary advancements in ocular medicine. Press Release Link: https://lnkd.in/etz4DTbe Kudos to everyone involved in this life-changing endeavor! #VisionRestoration #MedicalInnovation #WholeEyeTransplant #FoundationFightingBlindness #CUAnschutz