Mission: The mission of the foundation fighting blindness, inc. (ffb) is to drive the research that will provide preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, usher syndrome, and the spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.
Programs: Research - ffb funded researchers are achieving remarkable success with a wide range of promising therapies for saving and restoring sight. The foundation, and its subsidiary foundation fighting blindness clinical research institute (ffb cri), have funded translational research and clinical trials of gene therapy that have restored vision in patients who were virtually blind from a childhood form of retinitis pigmentosa. Thanks to the therapy, they can now enjoy some of life's simple joys, like reading and playing baseball. The foundation, and its subsidiary ffb cri, have funded cross cutting drug treatment therapies, showing potential for slowing vision loss caused by retinal diseases. (continued on page 58)ffb cri has launched a human trial to test a drug that may preserve vision in people with a specific form of retinitis pigmentosa. Ffb funded researchers are using stem cells derived from a variety of sources, including a person's own skin, to create healthy retinal cells that can potentially restore vision. Stem cell treatments hold great promise for people with advanced vision loss. In addition, ffb has committed $39 million to existing research projects based on future milestones and has set aside more than $70 million for future innovative opportunities. This gives ffb the flexibility and opportunity to invest in upcoming large-scale studies and clinical trials when they become available.
public health education - ffb funded health education programs reach over 250,000 people through educational seminars, newsletters, web based information, and community outreach through ffb's approximately 50 chapters around the u. S. And through partnerships with numerous retinal specialists.
The Foundation Fighting Blindness has contributed so much in the advancement of retinal disease treatments. It's devastating to hear from a doctor that you have a disease that has no cure and no treatment, so to see the Foundation work so hard to advance research in this area has given me hope. My local chapter has also connected me with a community of people with retinal diseases, in which I was able to find support and information. Without the Foundation, I would still be wallowing from the "no cure" line my first doctor gave me.
This sleazy outfit sold my name to every scumbag outfit in the U.S. that claims to be "helping the bind," and it refuses to take my name off its mailing list. As a result I receive monthly demands from it for more money because it is "on the verge of eliminating blindness."
