Bill and Victoria Strong of Santa Barbara, California dove into the fight against Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) after their daughter Gwendolyn was diagnosed with the most severe form of the disease, type 1. Not only did the Strong Family found the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation to raise awareness and research funding, but they started the Petition to Cure SMA. More than 64,800 people worldwide have signed the petition to show their support for the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act which was re-introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The Strongs recently began a new project - turning a family reunion into an opportunity to raise awareness and funding for SMA research. The family will be driving from California to Mississippi, 5,000 miles round trip, so that Gwendolyn can meet her 104 year old great-grandfather. They are asking donors to Sponsor a Mile, with the proceeds going to support the Foundation’s mission.

The Strong’s and their campaign were profiled by Santa Barbara’s KEYT-3 news: