Mission Statement
The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation is dedicated to fostering awareness, understanding and research for early-onset Bipolar Disorder. The Foundation is on a Quest For The Test™ to find an empirical, biomarker test for Bipolar Disorder so that early detection and intervention become a reality.
Our Goals
Ryan's parents created The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation to foster awareness, understanding and research for early-onset Bipolar Disorder. The Foundation has adopted two strategic initiatives:
- Quest For The Test™ - is an initiative aimed at funding research to develop an empirical test for Bipolar Disorder so that children and adolescents with Bipolar Disorder can be diagnosed by means of simple clinical test which will make early detection and intervention a reality;
- Awareness and Understanding - is an initiative dedicated to erasing the terrible stigma associated with Bipolar Disorder.
By addressing the complex problems in the field of early-onset Bipolar Disorder in this manner, the Foundation believes that the benefits will be progressive and cumulative, and that the serious issues affecting so many families will finally gain the long overdue attention they deserve.
Although no one can bring Ryan back, the Foundation hopes millions will be able to see a brighter day in his memory.
The Reasons Why
Ryan's parents were not able to save him because of the state of medical science. If a child is not feeling well, a parent wants to know three things:
- What is wrong?
- What can be done?
- What are the odds of success?
If Ryan had had cancer or diabetes, he would have had empirical tests and treatment protocols derived from years of research and reams of clinical studies. He would have had cure rates and survival statistics. If, however, the diagnosis for a child is Bipolar Disorder:
- There is no empirical test to prove it;
- There is no known cure - only the possibility of remission from medications which can have powerful side effects;
- The future is not measured by the rate of success, but by the incidence of tragic outcomes - often greater than 20%.
Today, there is no magic pill or revolutionary treatment or cure rate because the field of early-onset Bipolar Disorder has been left behind.
We must demand better than what currently exists and we must stimulate the creation of new and improved treatments and therapies. We cannot wait for the government to do the heavy lifting. We must foster research aimed at overcoming this terrible disorder. We must change the public perception of Bipolar Disorder and erase the stigma that exists. And, we must promote understanding throughout the family and the community. Early-onset Bipolar Disorder is an insidious illness that shapes the personalities of those affected by it and changes the dynamics of their family structure. In all likelihood, someone in your family or the family of your friends or the family of someone at work has experienced the hard reality of living with and raising a bipolar child or adolescent. It is time to face this problem head on and find solutions by fostering innovation, research and discovery. It is time to create a climate where greater progress can be achieved.
Although no one can bring Ryan back, the Foundation hopes that millions will be able to see a brighter day in his memory. Together we can make a meaningful difference, and we hope that you will help us in this effort.
To read about the Foundation's Quest For The Test™ initiative to find an empirical test for Bipolar Disorder click here.
