Kevin James Reason
In June 2019, Kevin James Reason's life changed forever. His son Liam was diagnosed with POLG disease, a rare genetic form of mitochondrial disease that causes epilepsy, balance and motor difficulties, and autism. Doctors told the family there was no cure, and that life expectancy for Liam's condition ranged from 3 months to 12 years.
Kevin refused to accept that answer. He met with leading specialists in Canada, the United States and England, and quickly understood that research was urgently needed. That same year, he founded The Liam Foundation and partnered with the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation to fund research and clinical trials.
His determination has produced historic results. The Liam Foundation was the main funder of the clinical trial of deoxycytidine/deoxythymidine (dC/dT) therapy at the Montreal Children's Hospital, led by Dr. Kenneth Myers. Liam was the first POLG patient in North America to receive the treatment. The trial has since shown that dC/dT therapy is safe and effective for POLG-related disorders, and it has welcomed patients from the United States, Brazil, India and beyond.
Under Kevin's leadership, The Liam Foundation has become the leading mitochondrial disease organization in Canada and around the world. It supports families in more than 30 countries and has organized more than 80 charity events, including the Chris Nilan Golf Classic, which raised $300,000 in a single edition. Kevin will try anything to make a difference, even jumping out of a plane to raise funds and awareness. Today he leads the foundation's global expansion, with the Liam Mito Centre, Liam Pharma, the Liam Mito Registry, the Liam Scholar Program, and new branches in Boston and Ireland.
For Kevin, this mission is not a job. It is a father's promise. Every day, he works to give families the hope he once thought was lost: that a diagnosis is not the end of the story.
