The TJ Whalen Memorial Foundation was formed in honor of Thomas John Whalen who was born in April 1989 and passed away in July 2019. TJ was diagnosed with CRPS in 2011 a few months after fracturing his wrist in a mountain bike accident.
Prior to his diagnosis, TJ was a cheerful and gregarious person, full of hope and promise. He had recently graduated from the University of Rhode Island in May 2010 with a major in psychology and a minor in computer engineering. At the time of his passing, he was enrolled in a graduate program at MIT. Unfortunately TJ became seriously ill with pneumonia in early July 2019 and in spite of hospitalization he succumbed to the infection.
CRPS had a major impact on the quality TJ’s life and those around him. We all struggled to understand the disease process and find him adequate and compassionate medical care.
The principal goal of the TJ Whalen Memorial Foundation is to provide valuable resources for patients, healthcare workers and caregivers seeking accurate and up-to-date information regarding CRPS and current treatment options.
We intend to keep abreast of new clinical trials targeting CRPS and related neurological disorders. Early recognition and intervention will be emphasized to reduce the risk of the condition spreading and becoming permanent. The foundation will support qualified research and clinical studies through a grant process and work in a coordinated effort with the National Institute of Health (NIH).
We invite patients and caregivers to participate in the research process by completing our patient questionnaire. Our goal is to gain valuable insight from your experiences with CRPS and help identify risk factors, triggers, and effective treatments for the CRPS warriors that battle the disease every day. Since our website is a work in progress, we also welcome your feedback so we can better serve the CRPS community!
While CRPS is our principal focus, we may additionally support other 501(c)3 recognized charitable organizations related to social and educational inequality, food insecurity, equal access to medical care, and environmental action, as these causes were passionate to TJ in his lifetime.