Any affected family will agree that a diagnosis of a prion disease like CJD feels confusing, frightening, and unfair. For some, that feeling lasts a lifetime. The CJD Foundation devotes extensive resources toward the goals of supporting patients and families in their grief, and working to better understand prion disease through research and education. 

Each year in preparation for the Strides 4 CJD 5k, I create a team in memory of my dad, Patrick Yobs. The event takes place the weekend of his birthday each year in October, and the weekend feels full of memories of him. I'm reminded by all of his lifelong friends and our family that his presence is as strong today as it ever was. 

The support of the CJD Community is so amazing that each year I feel more compelled than ever to contribute to research and awareness of CJD, the rare and fatal neurodegenerative disease that took my dad's life, and has affected our family along with so many others.