7/31/01 - 4/23/06
Josie was 110% "girlie-girl" - she loved tea parties,
Barbie's, Hello Kitty and, most of all, playing dress-up.
She brought a lifetime of joy to the lives she touched
before losing her battle with Mitochondrial Disease
on April 23, 2006. Since then, we have looked for ways to
learn and grow from our experiences, as well as for ways to
help other children and families facing similar circumstances.
We successfully found a way to help others through
Josie Mazzo Children's Charities,
founded in February 2007.
Special thanks to our
friends and family for supporting us.
We couldn't have done it without you!
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Tony and Mendy Mazzo
Parents of Josie and Sam Mazzo
Founders/Co-Chairs, Josie Mazzo Children's Charities
Josie's Favorite:
Color: Purple
Animal: Butterflies
TV show: Angelina Ballerina
Movie: Cinderella
Activity: Dance
MITO FACTS
- It is estimated that of the 4 million children born each year in the United States, up to 4000 develop mitochondrial diseases. In the United States, more than 50 million adults suffer from diseases in which mitochondrial dysfunction is involved.
- Mitochondrial dysfunction is found in diseases as diverse as cancer, infertility, diabetes, heart diseases, blindness deafness, kidney disease, liver disease, stroke, migraine, and the toxicity of HIV and other drugs. Mitochondrial dysfunction is also involved in aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson and Alzheimer dementia.
- Mitochondrial diseases can affect any organ in the body and at any age.
- Mitochondrial diseases are severely debilitating, often fatal and characteristically complex in nature. They are inherited through the mother, but can also be inherited from either parent. They can also be sporadic or induced by the environment.
- Many mitochondrial diseases are so new that they have not yet been mentioned in the medical textbooks or in to the medical literature.
- To date, there is NO cure for mitochondrial diseases.
SAM'S SCRIPTURE
OF THE MONTH
Sam, Josie's brother, has picked the following bible scripture
to share with you:
Whatever you do,
do everything for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31
Mendy, Sam and Tony Mazzo
Mendy and Tony are parents of Josie. Sam is her brother.
