Our Mission

Children with the WFS1 gene mutation are usually diagnosed at age 6. Distinctive complications include diabetes, loss of vision due to optic nerve atrophy, loss of hearing, and progressive neurodegeneration. Consequently, prognoses are extremely poor with a median lifespan of 30-40 years.   With no current cure, effective disease modifying treatments are urgently needed.

In the US alone, 30 million people are affected by approximately 7,000 known rare and ultra-rare diseases. Many are life-threatening, and very few have FDA-approved treatments. About 45% of these diseases are neurological disorders, and 90% of rare childhood disorders have major neurological effects.

In general, the medical industry targets a cure for the masses, while efforts surrounding rare & ultra-rare diseases typically remain sidelined due to a lack of funding. While a singular rare or ultra-rare disease may only impact a small percentage of lives, in aggregate these diseases impact 1 in 10 individuals in our country.

Be a Tiger Foundation humbly strives to achieve an immediate impact in the ultra-rare disease space. We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, and through your generous donations, we directly fund and support clinical research aimed to treat and cure Wolfram Syndrome. The expectation is that 100% of your contributions made to the foundation will go toward funding a cure, so that your generosity will have maximum impact on patients and families affected by this disease.