The Calliope Joy Foundation

Grieving is one of the most painful things a human being can experience. Founder Maria Kefalas has lived with the grief of her daughter’s MLD diagnosis for years and has made it her mission to help those on similar journeys. Maria has learned to harness the superpower of grief and has used her experiences with her daughter Cal to transform the lives of others. You can preorder Maria’s book, ‘Harnessing Grief: A Mother’s Quest for Meaning and Miracles,’ below:... https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com//harnessing-grief-by-m/ See more

This year, we are holding a special fundraiser for Founder Maria Kefalas' daughter, Cal, who continues to defy expectations and find joy every day. Recently, an anonymous donor generously offered to match our donation goal of $11,000 if we reach this amount by Christmas. Please consider donating this holiday season and doubling our goal so we can help those who need it most. https://www.thecalliopejoyfoundation.org/donate

An anonymous donor has offered to match our fundraiser with $11,000 if we are able to raise the first $11,000 by Christmas. We have already raised $3000. Only $8000 is needed to double this gift for Cal's 11th birthday! www.thecalliopejoyfoundation.org

We make miracles possible. With your support, we make miracles possible. We help save the lives of children struggling with leukodystrophy, a rare and fatal genetic disorder and give them hope and a second chance at life. But we can’t do it alone. Be sure to visit our website to learn more about the Foundation, the children and families we serve and how you can get involved. https://www.classy.org//the-calliope-joy-foundation/c259911

Did you know myelin, which lends its color to the white matter of the brain, is a complex substance made up of at least ten different chemicals? Leukodystrophies are a group of disorders caused by genetic defects in how these chemicals are produced. There are many types of leukodystrophies and each one is the result of a defect in the gene that controls one of the chemicals.

Do you remember the James family? This summer, Anna James learned that two of her children were diagnosed with MLD, a life-threatening genetic disorder. She relies heavily on her car to take them to the hospital for treatment, but with medical costs to focus on, she had fallen behind on her car payments and was in need of our help. We have raised over $11,000 for her family, but you can continue to support Anna and her boys by donating to her car fund today. Every little bit... helps. https://www.classy.org//mld-family-needs-vehicle-t/c313633