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For those of you who are new to the Spondylitis Association of America - and possibly spondylitis - rest assured that you have come to the right place. SAA is a non-profit organization and we were the first and remain the largest resource for people affected by spondylitis. Through our efforts, we help advance education, research and treatment for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and related diseases. Literally thousands of people visit this site seeking information, support and most of all, hope. For over 20 years SAA has dedicated all of its resources to help improve the lives of people coping with spondylitis.
We are here for you
St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility anywhere. Discoveries made here have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases.
We are where some of today's most gifted researchers are able to do more science, more quickly. Where doctors across the world send their toughest cases and most vulnerable patients. Where no one pays for treatment beyond what is covered by insurance, and those without insurance are never asked to pay. We've built America's 3rd-largest health-care charity, with a model that keeps the costs down and the funds flowing, so the science never stops.
The T.J. Martell Foundation Scientific Advisory Committee reviews applications from research laboratories to determine which studies will receive funding. All grants are rewarded based on scientific merit, and help to fund the brightest and most promising work to support innovative research that might not otherwise receive funding. Below is some highlights of their current work and information on their specific area of research. Please check back frequently as we plan to update this section often with new information as it becomes available.
Covenant House is the largest privately-funded childcare agency in the United States providing shelter and service to homeless and runaway youth. It was incorporated in New York City in 1972 and has since expanded in the United States to Anchorage, Atlanta, Atlantic City, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, New Orleans, Oakland, Orlando, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Washington, D. C., and, outside the United States, to Toronto, Vancouver, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.
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It was early April, and Skylar came down with flu-like symptoms, so Sharise kept her home from preschool. It didn’t seem anything to be concerned about. But that night, Skylar doubled over in pain and couldn’t walk. Sharise took her to West Hills Medical Center. At the time, I was away at a pro-celebrity car race. When I returned to the hotel, I got a message to call a friend. Skylar was rushed into the emergency room and opened up. The doctors thought her appendix had ruptured, but it hadn’t. The problem was in an area behind her stomach, where they removed a tumor. The doctors told us that Skylar needed to be transferred to Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, where they could make sure they had gotten all the fragments of the tumor, which had ruptured around her abdomen. All Sharise and I could tell her was, “Soon, honey, you can go home.”A CAT scan indicated tumors on both kidneys; it looked bad. Later that week doctors operated to remove the tumors, but after they opened her up, they decided to leave everything intact and try saving the kidneys and shrinking the tumors using chemo and radiation. But Skylar remained in a lot of pain. Within a month, despite the treatments, a tumor on her right kidney that would eventually grow to 6 1/2 pounds began pushing her abdomen against her lungs, making it hard for her to breathe. More ----->
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Mötley Crüe founder and bassist Nikki Sixx knows first-hand what it’s like to have to fend for yourself on the streets, which is why he has launched “Running Wild in the Night,” a fundraising initiative for Covenant House.
Covenant House provides services in 21 cities, 15 in the U.S., to homeless and runaway youth, including advocacy, health care, education, vocational preparation, drug abuse treatment and prevention programs, legal services, recreation, transitional living programs, street and community outreach and aftercare. “I chose to work with Covenant House after a lot of research - I saw what they were doing and it was exactly what I had invisioned for helping at-risk kids – I visited the Los Angeles location and was impressed by the whole operation.”
George Lozano, Executive Director of Covenant House California said, “Having someone like Nikki associated with Covenant House is great – he’s passionate about what he does, he’s passionate about the cause, he can relate to the youth in our program and they can relate to him. He’s a great role model for these kids.”
“Having experienced life as a runaway myself, I wanted to do something to help kids put in this position through no fault of their own,” said Nikki, who admitted that music was perhaps the single most important factor in saving him from that situation. “I want to raise awareness and funds for Covenant House and to create a creative arts program, starting with an emphasis on music, to enable Covenant House to help young people discover and nurture their talents like I did through music” More ----->
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