Each year Oriana & Catherine  select  a charity or family that is near and dear to their hearts. This year they have joined forces with

Mission

DMD is a fatal, genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration. It primarily affects boys, most of whom are wheelchair-bound by age 12. Duchenne affects 300,000 boys worldwide; 20,000 children in the United States alone. These children are robbed of their childhood as they can't run and play. The simplest of movements is painful. Many don't survive past their mid-twenties.

As you can probably imagine it takes millions of dollars to find a cure. With your help, JAR of Hope supports a team of research scientists and doctors dedicated to eliminating Duchenne. We also provide support for these boys and their families.

For families like ours, every day and every dollar counts. With organized fundraising events and support from you, we can continue our mission and turn the dream of finding a cure into reality.

OUR STORY

"Go home, love your son, there is nothing we can do for him."

It was September 13, 2013, when Jim and Karen Raffone received the news that no parent should ever get– they were told that their child was sick. On that day, their now 14-year-old son, Jamesy, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD): a rare mutation of the dystrophin gene that results in severe muscle degeneration.

The Raffone’s then sought a number of professional opinions, only to be given the same heartbreaking prognosis from each doctor: “go home and love your son – there is nothing we can do.” Unsatisfied with accepting their child’s death sentence, Jim and Karen set out to reverse the seemingly insurmountable odds against them—this is when JAR of Hope was born.

Spearheaded by Jim Raffone, JAR of Hope is an organization that gives Jamesy and thousands of boys just like him the chance to beat a disease that currently has no cure. Through various funding and awareness campaigns, JAR of Hope remains steadfast in its mission to knockout a disease that has, until now, remained undefeated. 

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