A Fond Farewell to Randy

JScreen mourns the loss of our friend and fellow Jewish genetic disease activist, Randy Yudenfriend Glaser. Randy cofounded the Jewish Genetic Disease Consortium after giving birth to two children, Lauren and Jonathan, who are living with Mucolipidosis Type IV (ML4), a devastating and life-threatening Jewish genetic disease. Randy’s mission was to educate the community about Jewish genetic diseases and promote genetic screening to help people plan ahead for healthy families.As President of the ML4 Foundation for over twenty years, Randy was involved in the research projects which ultimately led to the identification of the ML4 gene. This was a huge discovery that now allows us to screen everyone who comes through the JScreen program for ML4, in addition to over 100 other genetic diseases.Randy’s tireless efforts included educating rabbis, community members, and physicians about the importance of genetic carrier screening. Her personal and professional commitment to the work of JScreen will always be cherished. She was not only a friend, but fellow advocate for spreading the word about comprehensive, accurate, and accessible screening.Her passion and dedication to this cause were unwavering and we have lost a true champion. JScreen will continue to uphold our pledge to help prevent Jewish genetic diseases.