Help a Pastor’s Son

August 31, 2010 By 18 Comments

I got a message from my friend Jon Weyer that someone he knows is going through a really rough time right now:

… my pastor’s son has Juvenile Myositis, a horrible autoimmune disease that causes him a great amount of pain and could kill him if it doesn’t go into remission. His name is Sam… Pepsi has a voting contest to get JM a $250,000 grant for scientific research.

If you have a minute to spare, consider clicking a few buttons and voting to make JM a memory. You can text in your vote, too.

It’s currently ranked first as I write this, but let’s help keep it there.

Filed Under: Atheist/Christian Cooperation, General 18 Comments
  • Hitch

    Voted. All the best to Jon’s pastor’s son.

  • http://justrox.com Rox1SMF

    I just posted a link to the Pepsi Refresh site earlier (and bawled my eyes out watching the video). Cure JM has worked tirelessly to help educate people and get funding for much needed research. These kids suffer SO much, and as a parent it’s maddening to know there’s nothing you can do to take away the pain & weakness. I wish the Pastor, his son and their family all the best and I hope they get the poor kid into remission quickly.

    My 19 year old daughter was diagnosed with Juvenile Dermatomyositis at age 3. It’s scary, awful and a long, hard road filled with powerful drugs and tortuous PT. The tradeoff for my kid was that the drugs stopped the flareups (she’s been in remission for 9 years now), but she developed diabetes & liver problems from the damage the meds did to her organs; so the rounds of doctor visits continue unabated…

  • Matto the Hun

    Done and Done

  • Jon Peterson

    I’m sincerely happy with Pepsi for this program (the overall Pepsi Refresh Project). I’ve been following it since I first heard about it in late February, and so far it has provided funding to some very excellent causes.
    Of course there have been some lemons that have gotten ill-deserved money (an iPod Touch for each 1st grader?), but overall, the program has been excellent. If you can spare a few minutes per month to examine the projects eligible for voting, I highly recommend it.

  • RyanS

    I have fibromyositis, otherwise known as fibromyalgia, it’s not as serious as what this kid has (I’m guessing it’s juvenile dermatomyositis), yet it is still hell so I can’t imagine how much it must suck for him. I feel for him. I voted and I hope that he gets the treatments that he needs.

  • http://envirian.com Lee Konowe

    Let’s hope good doc’s and fine science come through for the pastor’s son and any other child suffering from the effects of JM & thanks Hitch for being there as well!

  • Anonymous

    I just voted.
    I think pepsi is doing a great thing by letting people vote for where the money will go. It really shows that the American people do care about each other. Stem cell research, something with great positive benefits for modern medicine, is losing its funding. If the American People really understood how many people’s lives would be saved, they would be fighting against this ruling and would have that law repealed.
    Unfortunately religion is a force that blinds People.

  • http://www.jonathanweyer.com Jonthan Weyer

    Thanks to my bud Hemant for posting this.

    And thanks to all of you for voting. Please keep voting through out the day.

    It’s great when everyone can come together for a common cause. See, some Christians DO like science…. :)

  • http://www.deebers.com/blog/josie_blog.html Tracy

    My niece also has this disease. Her name is Caitlin and she’s been battling it for most of her young life. Shes endured countless blood tests, MRIs, painful muscles, sun sensitivity and daily injections.
    On the plus side, her disease has not been as bad as Josie Deebers. I have attached a blog link to her page. I’ve been watching this little girl literally fight for her life the past few years.

    Thanks to all of you who voted on the Pepsi page!!

  • muggle

    What’s with the having to register process? Gah, I hate that. Still tried. Gave up after entering half a dozen prove you are not a robot retype words horseshit. If Pepsi were sincere, would they really need to collect data on voters or could they do it like all those internet polls?

    I was going to vote for this and nine others and make it a daily habit. Fuck it.

  • http://appledoreisle.com Nicole

    @ muggle they likely require registration to prevent people voting over and over again in one day.

    You can login with facebook too if you have an account.

  • Richard Wade

    Voted. Registering wasn’t difficult. No big deal. Hope it helps all the kids with this.

  • mousefeathers

    Did it. Remember voting for another cause publicized on an email list a few months ago (the lady asked early enough in the month, the list’s votes pushed that cause into the winners’ column, so it DOES help!); don’t remember having to register then, but I did this time and had no problem. It is a pretty cool thing, this campaign.

  • Manksteve

    I’m I the only one thinks its a bit sick to have a vote system to decide whom receives medical research?

  • Vanessa

    Hey, I’m all for funding research, especially when it helps children who are in pain. I hope this gets some money, and all the best to Sam.

  • http://www.deebers.com/blog/josie_blog.html Tracy

    Logged in this morning and saw that JM won! So thrilled for all the victims of this disease. I know it’s only a small drop in the bucket, but it’s something. Thanks to all my fellow non-believers who helped :-)

  • muggle

    Thanks, Nicole but the reason I didn’t do that was because I didn’t want Pepsi tracking my information. (Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean the world’s not out to get me.)

    I tried again and was a little less trite and stupid in my fake names, etc. and had no problem second time. Damn, they’ve got impressive software detecting that. Don’t try anon@anon.com as your e-mail, which usually does work for me in those situations. LOL!

    Manksteve, yes and no. Frankly, it’s refreshing to have the input since I buy Pepsi products and am actually the one paying for it.

  • http://justrox.com Rox1SMF

    Thanks so much, everyone, for your part in helping Cure JM win this funding. Families and kids like Sam, Josie Deebers and my Catt appreciate every bit of support and encouragement that comes our way.

    I see there are a lot of smart “kids” in the atheist community, and it gives me hope knowing that some of their contributions to science may help put an end to autoimmune diseases like this one, perhaps even within my or my daughter’s lifetime. So thanks in advance, whomever you may be :)