Event Description

The National MPS Society will host a timed 5K run and memorial walk, beginning at 9 am on Sunday, November 18th. The short memorial walk will begin at 9:10 am. Packet pickup and day of registration will begin at 7:30am the same morning. The race will take place on the Salado Creek trail of Lady Bird Johnson Park in San Antonio, Texas. 

MPS and ML are rare, genetic lysosomal storage diseases (LSD) caused by the body’s inability to process waste properly due to enzyme deficiency. Normally, the body uses enzymes to break down and recycle materials in cells.  In individuals with MPS and ML the missing or insufficient enzyme prevents the proper recycling process, resulting in the storage of materials in virtually every cell of the body.  As a result, cells do not perform properly and may cause progressive damage throughout the body, including the heart, bones, joints, respiratory system and central nervous system. 

While the disease may not be apparent at birth, signs and symptoms develop with age as more cells become damaged by the accumulation of cell materials.  There is an estimate in the United States that 1 in 500,000 births will result in some form of ML and 1:25,000 births result in MPS. At the present time, there is no cure for this deadly disease. However, promising treatments and therapies are just around the corner. Money is needed to continue fund research to find a cure for MPS and ML.