The
Jason F. Gruen Research Foundation was founded after Jason
tragically died at the young age of 15 years old.
Doctors found that Jason had IHSS (Idiopathic Hypertrophic
Subaortic Stenosis), a heart disease which frequently
affects otherwise healthy young people and all too often
results in sudden death in spite of proper diagnosis and
medication. At the present time, there is no cure.
Jason's mother, Susan Gruen Helsinger, started the
foundation in hopes of raising money and awareness so other
families don't have to go through the terrible pain and
suffering of losing a young child. The foundation got
off to a great start with a charity event in 1991 with stars
such as former New York Knick Eddie Lee Wilkins in
attendance to help promote the foundation. The program
from that night can be found by
clicking here.
Back in 1986, when the foundation was first started, the
purpose of the foundation was to develop methods to remove
the constant threat of arrythmia and ultimate death of those
afflicted with IHSS and further, to indentify those at risk.
Today, the foundation has stood true to its original purpose
and has helped advance medicine to the point that dozens of
children's lives have been saved.
More recently, Susan Gruen Helsinger, the Founder and
President of the Jason F. Gruen Research Foundation has been
working with many school districts to provide free
echocardiograms for students. Echocardiograms are a
sonogram of the heart that can diagnose children with heart
conditions which in turn can save lives.
If you would like to send in a donation, please mail it to:
The Jason F. Gruen Research Foundation
803 Meadowoods Drive
East Meadow, NY 11554