A Fond Farewell to Randy

June 14, 2016
JScreen

randy-yudenfriend-glaserJScreen mourns the loss of our friend and fellow Jewish genetic disease activist, Randy Yudenfriend Glaser. Randy cofounded the Jewish Genetic Disease Consortium after giving birth to two children, Lauren and Jonathan, who are living with Mucolipidosis Type IV (ML4), a devastating and life-threatening Jewish genetic disease. Randy’s mission was to educate the community about Jewish genetic diseases and promote genetic screening to help people plan ahead for healthy families.

As President of the ML4 Foundation for over twenty years, Randy was involved in the research projects which ultimately led to the identification of the ML4 gene. This was a huge discovery that now allows us to screen everyone who comes through the JScreen program for ML4, in addition to over 100 other genetic diseases.

Randy’s tireless efforts included educating rabbis, community members, and physicians about the importance of genetic carrier screening. Her personal and professional commitment to the work of JScreen will always be cherished. She was not only a friend, but fellow advocate for spreading the word about comprehensive, accurate, and accessible screening.

Her passion and dedication to this cause were unwavering and we have lost a true champion. JScreen will continue to uphold our pledge to help prevent Jewish genetic diseases.

 

JScreen is a non-profit, community-based public health initiative dedicated to preventing Jewish genetic diseases. Headquartered in Atlanta at Emory University School of Medicine, the JScreen initiative is a collaboration among clinical geneticists, socially minded businesses, and nonprofits to provide everyday people with a ready access point to cutting-edge genetic testing technology, patient education, and genetic counseling services.