Granard Middle School sixth grader Michaela Pittman has just started playing the clarinet in the school band. She learned Sept. 1 that the Cure JM Foundation received a $250,000 Pepsi grant to fund research into Juvenile Myositis, a rare autoimmune disease Pittman was diagnosed with two years ago. Granard Middle sixth grader Michaela Pittman had her prayers answered Sept. 1 when a foundation received a $250,000 grant to help in her fight against a crippling disease.

Michaela Pittman and her family made an urgent appeal in late July for county residents to vote for a grant proposal from the Cure JM Foundation. The foundation had its grant funded by Pepsi when it won last month’s “Refresh Everything” great idea voting contest sponsored by the soft drink company.

The Cure JM Foundation will use its $250,000 grant award from Pepsi to fund medical research into finding a possible cure and new medical treatments for juvenile myositis.

Michaela Pittman was diagnosed with this rare, painful and potentially deadly autoimmune disease two years ago. Left untreated, juvenile myositis can weaken a child’s muscles to the point where the child is unable to walk.

The disease is so uncommon that only 1,000 children each year are diagnosed with it. Because it doesn’t affect large numbers of people, the disease has been a low priority when it comes to medical research.

“There is no research being done on juvenile myositis right now. There has not been a pressing urgency because so few children have been diagnosed with it,” said Lisa Pittman, Michaela’s mother. “We are so thankful to everyone for voting and making it possible for the Cure JM Foundation to receive this grant from Pepsi. Every bit of it will go into research that has not been going on. At least now we will have a hope that a cure can be found.”

Michaela Pittman presently takes three pills a week and a shot on Friday to control the effects of the disease. She also receives a monthly intravenous infusion which costs $10,000 and is paid for through her Medicaid insurance.

Outwardly, the Granard Middle sixth grader looks like a normal and active child. She just started playing clarinet in the Granard Middle band and was a regular volunteer at the county museum this summer.

Lisa Pittman said she knows the outcome could be much different for children dealing with juvenile myositis without more medical research and attention being paid to finding new ways to treat the autoimmune disease.

“Michaela was taking a high amount of medicine just to keep her walking when she was first diagnosed. When she would fall at school, she couldn’t pick herself back up,” Lisa Pittman said. “Fortunately, Michaela is in remission now and doing good. At a drop of a hat, she could be right back to taking 10 pills and an infusion every week. This is why it’s so important to support medical research on Juvenile Myositis so we can find a cause and new treatments.”