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Delaware County’s Wilbur C. and Betty Lea Henderson Foundation commits to 5-year, $500,000 grant for Muscular Dystrophy Association
BROOMALL, PA, March 26, 2019 — The Wilbur C. and Betty Lea Henderson Foundation has committed to a five-year, $500,000 grant to fund local programs, scientific and clinical advancements to transform the lives of people living with muscular dystrophy, neuromuscular diseases and ALS in the Delaware Valley and across the country. Steve Henderson, Wilbur and Betty Lea’s son, was diagnosed as a teen with Becker Muscular Dystrophy and is presently 64 years of age.
Starting in 2019, The Henderson Foundation will be contributing to three Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) programs; an annual summer camp for children with muscle disease, an equipment loan closet and resource center, and for the advancement and integration of the MOVR data hub.
The MDA Summer Camp hosts 55 children at a weeklong sleepover camp each year at Variety Club Camp in Worcester, PA. The equipment loan closet loans 150 pieces of gently used medical equipment annually to local MDA families in need. MDA’s MOVR Data Hub™ (neuroMuscular ObserVational Research) is improving the ability of researchers and healthcare providers to enhance the care and management of individuals living with neuromuscular disease, and to aid in the development of clinical trials for promising new treatments. This database is currently integrated at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; the Henderson Foundation gift will allow the MDA to expand to other local and national hospitals through over 150 multidisciplinary care centers at top medical institutions across the country.
Locally the MDA serves 1,900 families in the Greater Philadelphia Area which includes South Jersey and New Castle County, DE.
To learn more about the MDA or how to get involved, contact Amanda Sweet at 610-325-5758 or asweet@mdausa.org.
About the Muscular Dystrophy Association
MDA is committed to transforming the lives of people affected by muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases. We do this through innovations in science and innovations in care. As the largest source of funding for neuromuscular disease research outside of the federal government, MDA has committed more than $1 billion since our inception to accelerate the discovery of therapies and cures. Research we have supported is directly linked to life-changing therapies across multiple neuromuscular diseases. MDA’s MOVR is the first and only data hub that aggregates clinical, genetic and patient reported data for multiple neuromuscular diseases to improve health outcomes and accelerate drug development. MDA supports the largest network of multidisciplinary clinics providing best in class care at more than 150 of the nation’s top medical institutions. Our Resource Center serves the community with one-on-one specialized support, and we offer educational conferences, events, and materials for families and healthcare providers. Each year thousands of children and young adults learn vital life skills and gain independence at summer camp and through recreational programs, at no cost to families. For more information visit mda.org.
