Ask for a present you really care about this year. Join Cure ALD’s birthday fundraising efforts to support the research and development of new ALD treatments. All money raised will be directly donated to carefully vetted research projects that align with Cure ALD's mission to find a cure or preventive treatment.

See instructions for setting up your custom fundraising link at the bottom of this page.

Why now?

X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) affects 1 in 17,000 people, impacting the brain, spinal cord, or adrenal glands with varying severity. Young boys face the most devastating form—childhood cerebral ALD—which can be fatal without early intervention. While treatment options exist for some manifestations, there is no cure or preventative treatments. Since there is limited funding for rare disease research, funding for ALD research is heavily reliant on donations. Your fundraising effort is vital to ensuring that research for ALD continues.

Inspired by the Wiener Family

The inspiration for Cure ALD comes from the Wiener Family, who discovered their three-year-old son (Theodore) had ALD after the mother (Terry) took a genetic carrier screening test during a subsequent pregnancy. Find out more about their story.

Confronting this devastating diagnosis, they quickly realized two critical gaps: 1) Insufficient funding directed toward research focused on curing ALD or preventing symptom onset; and 2) Lack of resources to help newly diagnosed families take meaningful action in the fight against this disease.

Cure ALD is on a mission to engage researchers and give families the power to support the research projects that align with their hopes for a cure.

The core priorities of the Cure ALD Research Network:

Developing new treatments or preventive therapies for Cerebral ALD (CALD).
Developing new treatments or preventive therapies for Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN).
Answering critical questions about ALD that could enable preventative treatment, such as identifying symptom triggers, predicting prognosis, and repurposing existing drugs.

COMING SOON: Cure ALD is currently vetting research projects and will announce their selection next month. Your donations will go directly to these research projects.

Building Our Foundation

We're building something meaningful from the ground up. Here's what you should know:

Our Website: A comprehensive resource site will launch in early 2026, featuring research updates, family stories, and educational materials for the community.
Tax-Deductible Donations: Cure ALD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID: 39-4049060. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Stay Connected: Instagram @CureALDTogether | Email info@cureald.org

We appreciate your patience and trust as we establish the infrastructure to maximize our impact in the fight against ALD.

Steps to set up your own birthday fundraising page

Profile picture - have a photo of yourself ready to upload to the page.
Fundraising goal - every dollar has the power to make an impact, so there is no goal to small or big. It’s important to think about the level of impact that is attainable within the timeframe you’ve set. Generally $5,000 is a realistic target for a birthday fundraiser.
Your story - Cure ALD and ALD in general will likely be new to your audience, so it’s important to explain why you’ve chosen to skip traditional birthday presents this year and partner with Cure ALD - to raise funds exclusively aimed at supporting research to cure ALD.
Create your page - select the “+Fundraise” button above in the Team Members section to register as a fundraiser and get your own page started using the information from #1-3.
Promote your page - share your page with friends and family via text, email, or social media. Use this Social Media Toolkit (via Canva) to create graphics for your posts.

💙Thank you for fundraising with Cure ALD. We are stronger together! #HelpCureALD

Cure ALD Birthday Celebrations

By Cure ALD

Cure ALD Birthday Celebrations

Ask for a present you really care about - supporting research to cure ALD.

Cure ALD Birthdays - Join the Party!