CLARK, NJ — The Irish Business Association of New Jersey has donated $500 to JAR of Hope of Asbury Park, a nonprofit that supports children and youths with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and their families. The donation is a contribution to JAR’s fundraiser to purchase a wheelchair-accessible van for a teenager and his mother.
DMD is a rare, progressive, muscle-wasting disease that mainly affects boys. By age 11 or 12, the afflicted start losing the ability to walk and later are restricted to wheelchairs and then ventilators. There is no cure for DMD, and those suffering from it do not live beyond their 20s.
Martin Cintron Jr. was born in 2005 and diagnosed with DMD at age 4. By 10 he was restricted to a wheelchair and now has only 20 percent use of his arms. Cintron lives in Edison with his mother, Damaris Gutierrez, who increasingly struggles to move him in and out of their family car. The JAR of Hope fundraiser will help them purchase a wheelchair-accessible van.
JAR of Hope was founded by James Raffone, whose son has DMD. Raffone is committed to finding a cure for the disease. JAR of Hope received FDA approval for a clinical trial of a compound they’ve named JAR 914. Martin is part of the trial and had his first infusion on Jan. 19, 2021. Since then, he has been more energetic and alert, and his muscular pain is completely gone.
“The Irish American business community has always been remarkably generous, and when we heard about the drive to raise funds for Martin Jr., we knew we wanted to help,” said Steve Flood, IBA president. “There is no business community without a wider community, and it is our responsibility to help those less fortunate than ourselves.”
“On behalf of JAR of Hope,” said Raffone, “I want to thank everyone at the Irish Business Association for this donation, which will help our goal of purchasing a wheelchair-accessible van for Martin Jr. and his mother. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a progressive, muscle-wasting disease that leaves a child helpless in life by the age of 15 and puts a tremendous amount of strain on a family. These funds will help Martin Jr. experience a little more that life has to offer.”
To donate to the fundraiser, visit https://tinyurl.com/2p8z6rat. To learn more about JAR of Hope, visit https://www.jarofhope.org/.
The Irish Business Association is an association of New Jersey business professionals committed to promoting business relationships and personal interaction within the Irish American business community in New Jersey, based on a shared heritage. They meet the third Thursday evening of each month in various locations in Union County. For more information, visit http://irishbusiness.org/.
Photo Courtesy of Chris Reardon