GETTY OWL FOUNDATION is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to helping families and fighting Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). SMA is an inherited disease that causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. There is no cure or treatment for SMA. The lifespan with SMA is seldom longer than 2 – 3 years. SMA is the #1 genetic killer of young children. 1 in 40 people, or nearly 10 million Americans, UNKNOWINGLY carries the gene responsible for SMA. National Institutes of Health (NIH) selected SMA as the disease closest to treatment of more than 600 neurological disorders.