Newsroom Archives: Press Releases

Below is an article that was written at the beginning of October. It’s a great summary of Garland’s effort to help his sister, Christiane. At the time of the writing, Garland’s fundraising total was about $90,000 and we are excited to report that his total is now over $151,000!

Garland Benson, a freckled-face 12-year-old with a winning smile, is on a mission – one that’s very personal, but could have far-reaching implications.

He just needs a little help from 100,000 friends and strangers.

Here’s why: Garland’s 15-year-old sister, Christiane, has juvenile Batten disease, a rare, fatal, inherited neurological disorder. It’s the same disease that was responsible for the July deaths of three siblings over the course of three days in Utah.

Children with the incurable disease suffer progressive vision loss, commonly followed within a couple of years by seizures and, as time passes, the loss of motor functions and speech. That’s followed by premature death, usually in the late teens or early 20s.

In 2008, the parents of Garland and Christiane, Craig and Charlotte Benson, formed the non-profit Beyond Batten Disease Foundation (www.beyondbatten.org) with the goal of helping find a cure. Through research funded by the foundation, progress is now being made on a treatment that, although not a cure, could slow down the disease’s progression, perhaps buying time for young people like Christiane.

The foundation is trying to raise $6 million that’s needed to help hurry that research along by getting it through an expensive validation and development process so that it can receive FDA approval for clinical trials.

Enter Garland, a boy with a big heart for his sister and an understanding that small gifts can add up to extraordinary amounts if the multiplication factor is large enough.

“I decided to raise $1 million of that $6 million on my own,” he says. “If I can get 100,000 people to give $10 each I’ll have $1 million. I think we can easily do that.”

With his goal clear, Garland confidently set out in March to achieve his objective – and do whatever he could for his sister and other young people who have the same disease.

Many donors have left heartfelt messages for him, such as: “Garland, you are the sweetest, best brother a girl could have.” “You inspire me to make a difference.” “Thank you for blessing your sister and so many others.”

Garland quickly found that his self-imposed undertaking wasn’t quite as easy as he hoped, but he has persevered and so far has raised about $90,000. His optimism isn’t faltering yet.

“I think it would be amazing if we find a cure,” Garland says.

Although Batten is genetic, and families can have more than one child with the disease, Garland does not have it. He’s not a carrier either, so he can’t pass it on to his children.

Despite the disease, Christiane is a cheerleader, has joined her family on ski trips and on horseback-riding adventures, and continues to be an inspiration for her younger brother.

“It’s really cool how she can do all that stuff and not be able to see,” Garland says. “But what I’d really like is for her to be able to lead a normal life like me.”

About Garland Benson

Garland Benson, 12, lives in Texas and is trying to raise $1 million to help fund research into juvenile Batten disease, which afflicts his sister, Christiane. The money is being raised through the Beyond Batten Disease Foundation (www.beyondbatten.org), which was launched in 2008 by the parents of Garland and Christiane, Craig and Charlotte Benson. The foundation’s goal is to help eradicate the disease by raising awareness about Batten and helping to fund research that could eventually lead to a cure. Those who want to donate can text the word HERO to 501051 and $10 will be added to their next cell phone bill. Donations can also be made through Garland’s donor page on the Beyond Batten Disease Foundation’s website.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Angela Hale

Red Media Group

Beyond Batten Disease Foundation, Noah’s Hope, Hope 4 Bridget and Batten Disease Research and Support Association Partner to Support the World’s Largest and most Comprehensive Batten Patient Registry

Austin, TX (September 12, 2016) — Beyond Batten Disease (BBDF), Noah’s Hope, Hope for Bridget and the Batten Disease Support and Research Association (BDSRA) are joining forces to support the expansion of DEM-CHILD, a novel network of prominent NCL clinician scientists and researchers working together to collect the world’s largest and most well-characterized set of patients with juvenile (CLN3), late infantile (CLN2) and 12 other forms of Batten disease. Funding will support the continued collection of patient data in Germany, Norway, Denmark, France, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Great Britain, Finland, India and the United States with a special focus on standardization of measurement and widespread use of the Unified Batten Disease Rating Scale (UBDRS). “We are co-funding this effort with committed partners because we believe that good and thorough patient registries that identify all of the major and minor characteristics of a disease, along with family contact information, will be critical to the planning, execution and ultimately the success of any clinical trials for Batten disease,” said Mary Beth Kiser, CEO of the Beyond Batten Disease Foundation. The UBDRS was developed at the University of Rochester Batten Center to quantify the physical, behavioral, seizure and functional aspects of juvenile (CLN3) Batten disease. Jonathan W. Mink, MD PhD, FAAN, FANA, FAAP, Frederick A. Horner, MD Endowed Professor in Pediatric Neurology and president-elect of the Child Neurology Society at the University of Rochester Medical Center, will work with Angela Schulz, MD, principal investigator and coordinator of DEM CHILD at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Together and with their colleagues, Drs Mink and Schulz will add UBDRS data to DEM CHILD, further align their databases, and collaborate using the larger combined data to establish more rigorous natural history baselines for all forms of Batten disease. In the last few years, Dr Schulz has expanded DEM-CHILD from 7 countries to 18. Combined international patient registry development for control data, natural history documentation and biomarker identification is part of BBDF’s larger strategy to prepare for success in clinical trials. ABOUT BEYOND BATTEN DISEASE FOUNDATION Beyond Batten Disease Foundation (BBDF) is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to funding research for a treatment and cure for juvenile (CLN3) Batten Disease. Since its inception in 2008, over $16 million has been invested in research by leveraging donations, co-funding and strategic partnerships. BBDF is spearheading a unique, cohesive strategy, incorporating independent scientific resources and collaboration with related organizations to drive research in juvenile Batten Disease. Today there is a treatment in sight. BBDF funded research has discovered a drug that slows the progression of the disease in Batten models. The foundation has launched a 24 month $6 million campaign to advance the treatment to clinical trials. More information can be found at www.beyondbatten.org. ABOUT NOAH’S HOPE-HOPE 4 BRIDGET Noah’s Hope-Hope 4 Bridget, a non-for-profit 501(c)3, was established by the parents of Noah VanHoutan, Laine VanHoutan and Bridget Kennicott, who were diagnosed Late Infantile Batten disease (CLN2) in 2009. After founding individual foundations in 2009, the families partnered in 2014 to strengthen their efforts in research and find a treatment and cure for children impacted by the fatal disease. Noah’s Hope-Hope 4 Bridget also works on awareness of Batten disease. Late Infantile Batten disease affects fewer than 450 children in the United States. Children with Late Infantile Batten disease develop normally through their toddler years, giggling, talking, and running circles around their parents. By age three, they begin to have seizures and gradually lose the ability to walk, talk, and feed themselves. Late Infantile Batten disease is ruthless. Noah passed away in March 2016, just a few weeks shy of his 12th birthday. At this time, Late Infantile Batten disease is fatal between the ages of eight and 12, sometimes longer. For more information, about Noah’s Hope visit:www.NoahsHope.com. For more information about Hope 4 Bridget visit: www.Hope4Brdiget.com ABOUT BATTEN DISEASE SUPPORT AND RESEARCH ASSOCIATION The Batten Disease Support and Research Association (BDSRA) serves those with all 14 identified forms of Batten disease through patient education, family and research conferences, consultation and advocacy. For nearly 30 years, BDSRA’s committed families have funded researchers around the world who have developed the research knowledge leading to today’s clinical trials. For more information: www.bdsra.org.