Inspired by the strength of Mathew Romer, who lost his eight-year battle with Tay-Sachs disease in 2003, The Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation (MFRF) was founded in South Florida in 1998 with a mission to promote and lead critical awareness, testing, counseling, and research initiatives that hold promise for the prevention and eventual cure of fatal children's genetic diseases of the brain. Since being launched, the Foundation has: • Co-Founded the National Research Initiative with the National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association in 2002; raised over $4M in grants, which has resulted in over 60 research projects; • Funded several projects that have led to large National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants resulting in over $20 million towards goal; • Helped establish the Tay-Sachs Gene Therapy Consortium with a plan to get to clinical trials following successful results with mice, cats, and sheep and demonstrating critical dosage safety. • Hosted countless genetic testing and education fairs since 2003 around South Florida and reached more than 1,600 people through screening efforts; and • Funded more than 40 nursing scholarships with four academic institutions in South Florida, including Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University Colleges of Nursing, and Nova Southeastern University.