Medical Marijuana, Inc. subsidiary HempMeds® and charitable partner ECHO Connection to sponsor Hope4Harper fundraising event this weekend.
Medical Marijuana, Inc. subsidiary HempMeds® will sponsor the Harper’s Heroes First Annual Gala in Dallas, Texas, this coming Saturday, April 27. The Hope4Harper Foundation is hosting this inaugural event to raise awareness for CDKL5 and fundraise for neurological research to help prevent and treat conditions like CDKL5.
Hope4Harper was created in memory of Harper Elle Howard, the family’s oldest daughter, who was born with CDKL5, a rare, life-threatening genetic disorder with fewer than 1000 cases worldwide. Her family started Hope4Harper and its accompanying Facebook page to share the family’s experience with the hope of connecting with and helping other families in a similar situation.
It was through these connections that CBD was introduced to the Fischer family in Brazil, the first in the country to legally import CBD oil products for their daughter Anny. Separated by over 5000 miles, these families finally met in person at the Howard family’s home outside Dallas.
Sadly, Harper lost her battle to CDKL5 on Jan. 8, 2016. Her family acted quickly to donate Harper’s cells to neurological research efforts, including those of Dr. Alysson Muotri at UCSD. Dr. Muotri’s team used Harper’s living cells to grow “mini-brains” similar to Harper’s to help them study neurological diseases like CDKL5. Harper’s tissue is the first donation for research of CDKL5.
Harper’s parents have continued to advocate for CBD: her mother Penny regularly speaks at events to reveal her family’s story and the family host events to support neurological research.
Over the past 7 years, the family hosted the Run4Hope Festival and 5K charity run in their hometown. HempMeds® was a perennial sponsor of these yearly events, helping the organization reach its fundraising goals.
This year, Hope4Harper is hosting the Harper’s Heroes First Annual Gala. This gala will pay tribute to everyone who has played a role in helping Harper’s legacy live on. The event is free thanks to its many sponsors, including HempMeds®. Attendees will enjoy free food, as well as drinks, casino tables, and a prize raffle all to help fund neurological research.
“We are proud to continue to support this non-profit organization and a cause that we hold so dear to our hearts,” said Medical Marijuana, Inc. CEO Dr. Stuart Titus. “The passion found at these events reminds us why we continue to educate and research the many therapeutic uses of CBD.”
Researchers from both of the organizations studying Harper’s brain and deep tissue – The Jensen Lab at Penn Medicine and the University of California San Diego Salk Institute Muotri Lab – will be in attendance at the event to present on how Harper’s donation continues to make a significant impact on science.
“At HempMeds, we believe in doing everything we can to improve the health and wellness of all,” said HempMeds® President Todd Morrow. “In addition to our education initiatives to help consumers learn about cannabidiol (CBD), we are honored to be able to support other educational events such as Harper’s Heroes Gala, which assists in sharing important research information.”
HempMeds® is sponsoring the Harper’s Heroes Gala alongside Medical Marijuana, Inc. charitable partner ECHO Connection. Founded on the three pillars of education, collaboration, and hope, ECHO Connection works to assist families and patients in accessing cannabinoid products, finding doctors, and more. ECHO Connection also provides research grants for medical research and provides cannabinoid products to families in need.
“The Harper’s Heroes Gala is my way of giving back to what hemp CBD products gave to Harper and continues to give to my family,” said Penny Howard, mother of Harper and founder of Hope4Harper. “We want to continue spreading awareness of CDKL5 and the treatments available for those patients and their families. We are very thankful for our sponsors at this year’s event, especially ECHO Connection who gave Hope4Harper its first-ever brain research grant.”
The Harper’s Heroes First Annual Gala is scheduled for 6:00 pm at the Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill, located at 10261 Technology Blvd East in Dallas, Texas. More information about Harper’s Heroes First Annual Gala can be found at https://www.hope4harper.com/harpersheroes/ and attendees can RSVP for this free event here.
You can support causes like Hope4Harper through donations to ECHO Connection. You can give directly to ECHO here.
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