OTTAWA – Ryan Dempster and his family have established the Dempster Family Foundation to raise awareness of DiGeorge Syndrome..
Ryan and wife Jenny Dempster welcomed to the world their second child, daughter Riley, on April 1st, 2009. Riley was born with DiGeorge Syndrome, which is a chromosomal abnormality that can cause a wide range of health and developmental issues..
The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DiGeorge Syndrome) can cause heart defects, breathing issues, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, immune and endocrine systems, differences in the palate, slow growth, and autism and/or developmental delays or learning disabilities in some individuals..
On the foundation’s website, the Mission Statement reads:.
The Ryan and Jenny Dempster Family Foundation strives to lend support to charities and organizations supporting children with 22q11.2 deletion (DiGeorge Syndrome) through monetary grants, programs and increased community awareness. The Dempster Foundation empowers organizations to help children with rare illnesses overcome difficult situations through:.
providing funding to continue research to early detection of the illness in children
supporting continuing education about their illness, and encouraging programs suggesting physical activity to ensure long term well being,
encouraging programs that build and instill confidence in these children,
using baseball as a springboard to talk about life and life lessons with children.
To find out more about the Dempster Family Foundation and DiGeorge Syndrome and the ways you can help, visit www.dempsterfamilyfoundation.org.
