Event Dedication Sponsors Register
| Dedicated
to Christine |
| Every year since our inaugural event, we have dedicated our annual golf tournament to a child or children affected by mitochondrial disease. In celebration of our 10th anniversary, we “re-dedicate” our tournament to Christine, who continues to touch so many lives. |
| “In 10 short years, the legacy of Christine Shimizu has touched the lives of children around the world. Her story has inspired physicians and scientists to make discoveries that have changed medical history and have given hope to patients and families everywhere with mitochondrial disease.” |
|
Robert K. Naviaux, MD, PhD |
| Celebrating a Decade of Discovery |
|
What is
mitochondrial disease? Thanks
to the efforts of the UCSD Christini Fund over the last 10 years, more
people know the answer, but more need to know— Found
in every cell in the human body, mitochondria convert the air we breathe
and substances from the food we eat into the energy needed by cells to
function. Failure of these “power plants” within cells gives rise to
debilitating and often devastating mitochondrial diseases. About
one in 4,000 children in the United States will develop mitochondrial
disease. As a result of mitochondrial failure, a disease such as Leigh's
Syndrome causes damage to critical areas of the brain that control
breathing, blood pressure, appetite, and coordination. Most children with
Leigh’s often do not live past the age of two. In
adults, many diseases of aging have been found to have defects of
mitochondrial function, including type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease,
heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer. |