As Founder of the Lymphatic Research Foundation (LRF), I am extremely proud of our extraordinary achievements since our inception in July, 1998. After years of relative neglect by medical researchers, lymphatic disorders are finally getting the attention they deserve. It is the lymphatic system, after all, that is the body's first defense against disease. A disorder of the lymphatic system affects virtually every other system in the body. Research into how the lymphatic system works promises preventive and therapeutic benefits for millions of people afflicted with a broad array of diseases.

In the short time that it has been in existence, LRF has created strategic alliances with the National Institute of Health, with industry, and with medical/scientific associations. LRF has sponsored biennial international conferences to advance lymphatic biology. LRF has launched a scientific journal, Lymphatic Research and Biology. LRF has produced the framework that established a premier, biennial, invitation-only Gordon Conference Series entitled: "Molecular Mechanism in Lymphatic Function and Disease".

Now we must continue our efforts to engage industry in the development of molecular therapeutics, innovative imaging technology and diagnostic tools to facilitate diagnosis, and to develop improved treatments and cures for lymphatic disorders. We must encourage wider study of lymphatics in medical schools. We must establish a National Tissue Bank and Patient Registry in order to support human clinical trials using molecular therapeutics or new discoveries in pharmacology, and to provide statistical information. We must continue to provide grants to researchers.

There is tremendous potential for health benefits hidden within the lymphatic system. The power to discover these benefits is in the hands of the researchers and in the will of the patient community and their loved ones. I urge patients, their families and friends, and service providers to actively participate in our efforts. As the parent of a child born with systemic lymphatic disease and lymphedema, I will continue to promote LRF's support of scientific advancement because I believe it holds the promise for a healthier tomorrow for my child and for millions of others afflicted with diseases of the lymphatic system.