NATIONAL PKU ALLIANCE INC

THE NPKUA APPROVED 5 RESEARCH GRANTS FROM THE 2025 RESEARCH GRANT CYCLE FOR A TOTAL OF $425K. THE RESEARCH PROJECTS FOCUS ON PKU ASSESSMENT TOOLS AS WELL AS PKU TREATMENTS AND THERAPIES THAT DRIVE PROGRESS TOWARD A CURE. AS OF 2025, THE NPKUA HAS AWARDED $6,419,699 IN SUPPORT OF 88 RESEARCH PROJECTS.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONTINUES TO BE A CORE PILLAR OF THE NATIONAL PKU ALLIANCE. THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PLANNING AND MANAGING PROGRAMS FOR THE PKU COMMUNITY, INCLUDING A MENTORING PROGRAM, COMMUNITY CALLS, SUPPORT KITS, MATERNAL PKU PATIENT SUPPORT, ADVOCACY EFFORTS AND AN AFFILIATE PROGRAM.THE DIRECTOR SCHEDULES, MANAGES AND ATTENDS VIRTUAL CALLS WITH THE COMMUNITY ACROSS DIFFERENT PKU AGE GROUPS AND PKU CAREGIVER TYPES. 48 CALLS WERE HELD IN 2025 WITH 250 ATTENDEES.IN 2025, THE NPKUA MENTOR PROGRAM GREW TO SUPPORT OVER 45 CAREGIVERS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH PKU THROUGH PERSONALIZED ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING, WITH MENTORS CONNECTING VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON TO SHARE EXPERIENCES AND DEVELOP SKILLS TO BETTER ASSIST THEIR MENTEES.THE NPKUA ADVOCACY COMMITTEE WORKS ALONGSIDE MEMBERS OF THE BROADER RARE DISEASE COMMUNITY TO ADVANCE EFFORTS AROUND NUTRITION, EQUITY AND OTHER PRIORITIES OF THE PKU COMMUNITY. THE COMMITTEE DEVELOPED AN ADVOCACY MEDIA TOOLKIT TO HELP COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHARE THEIR STORIES. STAFF AND ADVOCACY COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS HAVE ALSO RESPONDED TO THE TERMINATION OF THE ACHDNC (ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON HERITABLE DISORDERS IN NEWBORNS AND CHILDREN) BY CALLING ON CONSTITUENTS, THROUGH DATABASE-WIDE EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH, TO SIGN-ON TO CONTACT THEIR LEGISLATORS AND SHARE THEIR STORY AND SUPPORT OF NBS. STARTED A NEWBORN SCREENING VIDEO SERIES TO BE USED IN SEPTEMBER, RECOGNIZED AS NEWBORN SCREENING AWARENESS MONTH. THE SERIES RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF NEWBORN SCREENING, AND THE CRITICAL ROLE OF NEWBORN SCREENING IN IDENTIFYING SERIOUS CONDITIONS THAT CAN LEAD TO SEVERE DISABILITY OR DEATH IF LEFT UNDIAGNOSED. IN TOTAL, NPKUA SUPPORTED 10 STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY EFFORTS.IN 2025 NPKUA PROVIDED $34,057 TO NPKUA AFFILIATES TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY EVENTS AND CAMPS IN THEIR REGIONS. DURING THE YEAR, NPKUA ALSO MET ONE-ON-ONE WITH INDIVIDUAL AFFILIATE LEADERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR GOALS AND NEEDS. IN 2025, 206 NEWBORN AND KINDERGARTEN KITS WERE DELIVERED TO FAMILIES WELCOMING A NEW BABY WITH PKU OR SUPPORTING A NEW KINDERGARTENER WITH PKU.IN 2025, 55 PACKAGES OF DIET-APPROPRIATE FOOD WERE DELIVERED TO MATERNAL PKU PATIENTS TO BEST SUPPORT THEIR LOW-PROTEIN DIET.