When Mckinsley was 5 years old, we went into her well-child visit thinking she might have eczema. We had noticed her cheeks would get pink, but we had no idea it was something more. During the appointment, her pediatrician noticed rashes on her hands, knees, and elbows that we had not thought much about. Because we were at a military hospital, he was able to walk us directly to dermatology.

The dermatologist looked at Mckinsley and immediately suspected Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM). She told us not to Google it and sent us to an exam room to wait. I remember thinking, “I couldn’t even Google it if I wanted to. I didn’t know how to spell it.”

The next day, Mckinsley had a biopsy, followed by a sedated MRI a little over a month later. When we finally met with the rheumatologist, they were surprised she was still walking because of how much inflammation she had. We had never noticed she was struggling.

Mckinsleystarted treatment right away and has handled so much with incredible strength. She has now had 57 infusions and counting. We have tried stopping twice, but she would flare again within months. Thankfully, infusions have helped her the most, especially with her skin involvement, and she continues to handle them like a champion.

Juvenile myositis is a rare and devastating disease that causes a child's immune system to attack their own muscles and body. Not too long ago, too many children didn't survive because doctors knew little about the disease and diagnoses often came too late. But thanks to the work of Cure JM and supporters like you, children today are being diagnosed more quickly, have access to better treatments, and have more reasons for hope than ever before.

Cure JM has been an incredible resource for our family. The information, support, and community have helped us through every step of this journey.

Living with JM has changed many parts of Mckinsley’s life. She loves being outside, but she has adapted to wearing long sleeves and long pants to limit sun exposure. She rarely wears shorts outside the house, and her swimsuits cover her from ankles to wrists. She still asks hard questions about why she has JDM and how long she will need medicine, but she continues to face every challenge with courage.

Mckinsley is goofy, creative, and incredibly smart. She earned straight A’s throughout the school year, loves drawing dragons and animals, creates amazing designs from cardboard and recycling, makes her own Halloween costumes, and enjoys swimming, traveling, spending time with cousins, teaching herself piano, and learning a little German.

But there is still work to do. For the first time, we are standing on the precipice of breakthroughs that could fundamentally change the future of JM. New treatments are advancing through clinical trials, and we are closer than ever to a cure.

Because JM is so rare, progress only happens when families and supporters come together to fund research, improve care, and accelerate new treatments. Our family’s goal is to raise $3,000 to help ensure this momentum continues.

Right now, every donation will be doubled through the Coffey Family Match, making your impact go twice as far. We hope you will join us in helping move us closer to a future free from JM.

Please click "Donate Now" to make a gift.

If you prefer to give by check, please make it payable to Cure JM and mail it to:

Cure JM
P.O. Box 45768
Baltimore, MD 21297

Please include our family's name in the memo line.

Thank you for making such a meaningful difference. Together, we can ensure that no child fights JM alone.

A Cure Starts With You.