The Wyatt Kyle Sutker Foundation, Ltd has been established in honor of our infant son Wyatt, to:

1. Directly help families deal with the uncertainty, pain, and agony of having a new born or infant stricken by Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type I. The foundation will help parent's deal with the shock of bringing home a seemingly healthy newborn, only to learn that the child's life will be measured in weeks, not years.
2. Assist in gathering funds for research specifically dedicated to the nutritional needs of infants stricken with Spinal Muscular Atrophies.

There are few organizations specifically dedicated to support families touched by Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type I. The Wyatt Kyle Sutker Foundation, Ltd will support such families by:

1. Providing direct monetary assistance for the provision of non-medical equipment
2. Providing important information on how to care for the newborn or infant

Feeding

Play

Physical therapy

Bringing the infant home

Massage Therapy

Respiratory Issues

Grief

Medical equipment

In addition the Foundation is working on:

1. Providing lists of resources and contacts available to help deal with the issues surrounding illness and infant death.

2. Providing contact lists for the acquisition of surplus medical equipment from other families touched by SMA Type 1.

3. Providing a point of access for updated information about research and treatment options for SMA Type 1.

4. Providing time and effort to help in distributing information about Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type I.

5. Providing access to a network of parents that have gone through the nightmare of losing a child to SMA Type I.

As the SMA Type 1 progresses the muscles involved in swallowing and voiding become severely involved. During Wyatt's short life he struggled most profoundly with this aspect of the disease. He struggled to swallow, gain weight, void, and experienced gastrointestinal difficulty. The Wyatt Kyle Sutker Foundation, LTD will raise money to help fund research specifically geared toward SMA Type 1. Especially, research that addressed the nutritional and gastrointestinal difficulties infants with SMA Type 1 experience.