Pheo Para Alliance and Pheo Para Troopers, the two most recognized global nonprofit organizations focusing on pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (pheo/para) have announced their intentions to merge. The goal of the merger is to optimize assistance to patients of this orphan cancer.
Historically, the Pheo Para Alliance has focused on donor programs that support research and medical advances, while the Pheo Para Troopers created a grassroots campaign for direct patient support. The decision to merge comes at a time when both organizations are poised for a period of significant growth. Combining research, funding and patient direct support will make the new Pheo Para Alliance the most comprehensive pheo/para patient organization on the globe.
Emily Collins, chair of the board of directors for the Pheo Para Alliance, stated that “We have always been partners – we helped to fund the Pheo Para Troopers initially – we have several connections for fundraising and want to be more involved with patient direct services to compliment the numerous research grants we fund.”
“The Pheo Para Troopers has quickly become a well-recognized and respected organization internationally in the world of pheo/para… With the merger, we expect to see the realization of our mission through a much broader resource pool” says Allen Wilson, president of the board of directors for the Pheo Para Troopers.
Matthew Capogreco, Secretary for the Pheo Para Troopers and a founding member of that organization, sums up the benefits he envisions: “In the end, patients, researchers, and members of the medical community will benefit from this forward-thinking move. As it has been for both organizations in the past, the primary goal of the new Pheo Para Alliance will be to increase awareness of the number-one most misdiagnosed cancer –- pheochromocytoma. Both groups firmly believe the success of this merger will be measured in the lives saved.”