Jeffrey Gottfurcht Children’s Arthritis Foundation Grants Dream to Pearl City, Hawaii Teenager with Juvenile Arthritis
LOS ANGELES, Calif., (PRWEB) November 21, 2011
Jeffrey Gottfurcht Children’s Arthritis Foundation (JGCAF), a wish-granting organization, announced today that its Founder, Gottfurcht, in partnership with sponsors Foodland and SSI Investment Management, fulfilled the dream of Wesley, a 16-year-old Pearl City youth living with arthritis and suffering from painful inflammation of his joints, requiring frequent hospital visits.
“As I’ve undergone treatment, I’ve witnessed first-hand so many children who have to put everything on hold, including their dreams. My goal is to help young people suffering from juvenile arthritis dream again, and by doing so, bring added attention to the disease and the need for a cure,” said Jeffrey Gottfrucht, founder of the JGCAF.
Wesley was recently presented with his “wish” — Apple® products, including an Apple desktop computer, iPad 2 and a printer, sponsored by SSI Investment Management of Los Angeles, California and a Foodland goodie bag with his favorite treats. The presentation took place at Kapi’olani Medical Center, where Wesley receives treatments for his arthritis.
Wesley has overcome many obstacles, including ridicule by his classmates who did not believe that he was ill or afflicted with a disease that few associate with children or people under age 60. The wish granted to Wesley was the first by this Foundation for a Hawaiian resident.
““We have been so inspired by the way Jeffrey Gottfurcht has turned his diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis into an opportunity to help provide support and encouragement to children all across the country,” said Roger Wall, Foodland Vice Chairman. “We are delighted to play a small part in the Jeffrey Gottfurcht Children’s Arthritis Foundation’s first dream in Hawaii and salute Jeff for his desire to help children all across the country from Hawaii to New York. We are also pleased to offer Wesley our support and congratulations for being such a brave young man,” continued Wall.
“We are very proud of our son Jeff for creating an organization that raises awareness of rheumatoid arthritis and brings happiness to children throughout the country who also suffer from this debilitating affliction. It is truly an honor for our company, SSI Investment Management, to join Foodland Super Markets and Kapi’olani Medical Center in Hawaii as sponsors of this dream in Hawaii. We hope to continue this outreach to young patients of rheumatoid arthritis next year,” said SSI Investment Management Company President, John Gottfurcht and CEO, Amy Jo Gottfurcht, also Jeff’s parents.
Gottfurcht (38), the father of three young children, created the JGCAF, a wish-granting organization, to brighten the lives and provide resources for some of the more than 300,000 children in the United States afflicted with rheumatic diseases.
Diagnosed at 28 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the avid mountain climber set out to fulfill his own dream. Earlier this year Gottfurcht became the first RA patient to conquer Mt. Everest at 29,035 feet, despite having the autoimmune disease, which attacks the joints and causes inflammation, joint pain and stiffness, while leading to fatigue and permanent joint damage. After scaling the world’s highest mountain, Gottfurcht, announced in October that he will continue the arduous climbs in hopes of inspiring children and others to achieve their dreams by completing a series to climb the Seven Summits*, the highest peak on each continent.
First on the agenda is Cerro Aconcagua of the Andes Mountains; located in Argentina, it is the highest peak in South America and, at 22,842 feet, the highest mountain outside the Himalayas. Gottfurcht will undertake an expedition in January, which is the summer season below the equator. He plans to climb one summit per year to continue to make dreams come true for children living with juvenile arthritis, until a cure is found.
As with the Mount Everest expedition, a key supporter of Gottfurcht’s Seven Summits climbs is Rik J. Deitsch, Chairman and CEO of Nutra Pharma Corporation (OTCBB: NPHC), a biotechnology company. Gottfurcht uses the company’s medication NyloxinTM, an over-the-counter treatment for chronic pain, to aid in relieving the pain and inflammation that accompanies rheumatoid arthritis.
BACKGROUND ON RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: For many, the diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) brings lifelong pain, joint destruction, deformity and immobility. For young patients, the ravages of juvenile arthritis are often more severe than those in adults, including loss of mobility as well as organ failure, loss of sight, hearing, and severe digestive difficulties. Dream requests to the Foundation are wide ranging—from requests to help cover educational and medical costs to requests to meet celebrities or receive big screen computers or Wii systems—to help a child cope with limited visibility or mobility. Since December 2009, over 14 children including Wesley have been granted their dreams by the JGCAF. The goal of JGCAF will be to fulfill one dream a month, nationally.
Children age 4 to 21 afflicted with juvenile arthritis are eligible for a “wish grant.” The Foundation encourages a member of a child’s medical team (doctor, nurse, social worker or child-life specialist), a parent, sibling or legal guardian to propose a wish for a child suffering from juvenile arthritis. Children with juvenile arthritis may send in their dream request directly. After JGCAF receives the dream request the Foundation works with its network of supporters to make the wish come true.
*EDITORS NOTE: The Seven Summits are Mount Everest (29, 035 feet Asia): Cerro Aconagua (22, 842 feet, South America); Mount Denali (20, 320 feet, North America); Mount Kilimanjaro (19, 340 feet, Africa); Mount Elbrus (18, 510 feet, Europe); Mount Vinson (16. 067 feet, Antarctica); the Carstenz Pyramid (16,023 feet, Oceania) and Mount Kosciuszko (7,310 feet Australia).
About Jeffrey Gottfurcht Children’s Arthritis Foundation (JGCAF): JGCAF was founded by Jeffrey Gottfurcht with a dual mission regarding rheumatoid and juvenile idiopathic arthritis: to inspire afflicted young people who optimistically await a cure and to educate and generate awareness among the public. At the age of 28, Gottfurcht was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis; after undergoing years of treatment; he wanted to share his determination to fight the disease while bringing joy, strength and support to children and young adults similarly afflicted. Gottfurcht was the first RA sufferer to summit Mt. Everest in 2011; he set this feat as a way to inspire those living with RA to achieve their own dreams. As a wish-granting Foundation, JGCAF accepts referrals for dreams from parents, guardians, siblings, members of the medical community, and directly from children suffering from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The Foundation’s Dream Team helps select dreams that are prudent and possible and assists in making them come true. Help fulfill a dream of a child living with Juvenile Arthritis today. For more information please call 310.855.3745 or visit http://www.JGCAF.org. Note: to respect the privacy of its dream recipients, the JGCAF does not disclose last names.
About Foodland: Foodland Super Market, Ltd., Hawaii’s largest and locally owned, locally operated company, was founded in 1948 by Maurice J. “Sully” Sullivan. Today, there are 31 Foodland and Sack N Save stores spanning four islands with approximately 2,500 employees.
About SSI Investment Management (SSI): SSI is an innovative investment management firm dedicated to enhancing client returns through the application of customized portfolio solutions. For more information please visit: http://www.ssi-invest.com/
About Nutra Pharma Corp.: Nutra Pharma Corporation operates as a biotechnology company specializing in the acquisition, licensing, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products and technologies for the management of neurological disorders, cancer, autoimmune, and infectious diseases, including Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Additionally, the Company markets several drug products for sale for the treatment of pain under the brands Cobroxin and Nyloxin. For additional information about Nutra Pharma, visit http://www.NutraPharma.com.
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