About My Mito Mission | Our Story

"It's easy to feel powerless

in the face of mito.

But not always easy to do anything about it. We wanted to empower everyone affected by mitochondrial disease to do something.

Something to help them tell their own story to increase awareness, funds for research and hopes of a cure. Something their family, friends and community could really grasp, take to heart and rally around.

My Mito Mission was born."

Christine Beal, Co Founder and Chair

The founders and trustees of My Mito Mission are the family and friends of Emma Beal from West Yorkshire, UK. Emma became ill when she was 21 back in 2010 with no known history of mitochondrial disease in her family.

See more on Emma’s story here.

When we decided to help raise awareness and find a cure, we felt that having a personal mission centred on Emma to which family and friends could really relate, would be by far the most effective. We also wanted to make it easy for anyone else with mito to do likewise.

So in August 2017, My Mito Mission was born and preparations made to launch our first mission – Emma’s Mito Mission – in the Autumn.

Tragically, Emma unexpectedly died of heart failure caused by mitochondrial disease in the September that year. With very heavy hearts, but knowing it would be what Emma would want, we launched her mission at her funeral. We like to think of Emma as our CAO (Chief Angelic Officer) and are thrilled at what we we’ve achieved so far … have a look for yourself!

September 2017

First £5,000 raised, enabling us to apply for official charity registration

October 2017

First sponsored event takes place - a run by Emma's best friend Rachel O'Connor

January 2018

Charity registration achieved with Charity Commission of England & Wales no.1176616

July 2018

First fundraising goal to raise £30,000 by what would have been Emma’s 30th birthday in December 2018 ... smashed

September 2018

First large organised event ‘The Big Push' for Mito raises over £4,500

April 2019

Launch of My Mito Mission’s striking, more powerful new branding

July 2019

First grants awarded through The Lily Foundation. £42,500 towards research into treatments and a cure, plus a support weekend for adults with mito

September 2019

First new mission - Regan's Mito Mission based in the West Midlands launched.

Celebrities and public join #KissGoodbyeToMito to make our first Global Mito Awareness Week campaign a huge success.

January 2020

Largest single donation to date of £10,000 received from Thornhill Estates.

… our plans for 2020 include awarding a further £40,000+ to research and support, some spectacular events and more and more My Mito Missions around the country.

The world pandemic has of course meant the inevitable postponement of many of our plans for the year. We will support those with mito who are amongst our most vulnerable in the UK, as best we can. We will also work behind the scenes to build our foundations even stronger and come back even bigger and better – including this new website!

Please continue to support us!
We couldn’t do what we do without you.

Thank you.

There are other excellent charities in the UK and worldwide dedicated to mito (see My Mito Directory). My Mito Mission aims to complement, not compete with other charities’ work and to financially support some of them through our grant funding. We are all ultimately working for the same goal – to raise awareness, support, funds for research and hopes for a cure for mitochondrial disease.

We are funded primarily by individuals like you – from donations and fundraising efforts. The majority of funds goes to research towards finding a cure for mitochondrial disease. We also aim to educate everyone about mito and to improve the information and support available to those with mito and their families.

We’re proud to be able to say the due to the ‘manpower’ to run our charity being voluntary, the vast majority of money donated goes directly to furthering our aims.

Medical
Research

Awareness
Raising

Support
Projects

Essential
Admin

Statistics from launch of charity to end of December 2019

Our Mission Statement

To enable individuals with mitochondrial disease to be at the heart of their own personal mission under one collective banner.

To empower them along with their families, friends and communities to increase awareness, funds for research, support and information and above all hope for a cure for everyone with mitochondrial disease.

To grant funds to research and additional support to benefit as wide a cross section of those affected as possible.

To raise awareness amongst the general public about mitochondrial disease and the vital importance and potential of mitochondrial research. To increase understanding that more research into mitochondrial function could be the key to unlock treatments for many common conditions which affect MILLIONS in the UK alone.

Our Vision

Mitochondrial disease is a known and understood condition across the general public and medical profession alike. Those affected by mito feel that their illness is known, understood and that they are supported as with any other condition.

Mitochondrial research has expanded and successfully brought diagnosis for everyone affected and treatments for the many linked conditions as well as for mitochondrial disease.

Mitochondrial disease is treatable to the point of having of little or no impact to those affected, or is cured completely.