About Friends of James
Friends of James, Inc was founded in honor of three year old James Poerio who lives with a rare neurogenetic disorder called Angelman Syndrome. People with Angelman Syndrome struggle with motor coordination and balance, seizures, cognitive disabilities, sleep disorders and are almost universally non-verbal. Friends of James was created to make a positive impact in both the rare disease community through funding research as well as the local community through supporting people living with disabilities
Mission
Friends of James aims to increase awareness of Angelman Syndrome, fund research to advance therapies for treating the disorder and support local initiatives serving people with special needs.
Vision
We dream of a treatment for Angelman Syndrome in the near future and until then we will continue to donate funds toward research through the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics. When that day comes, we will shift our focus towards local initiatives to support people living with disabilities by giving them the resources to thrive in the community.