The Jason F. Gruen Research Foundation was founded after Jason tragically died at the young age of 15 years old.  Doctors found that Jason had IHSS (Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis), a heart disease which frequently affects otherwise healthy young people and all too often results in sudden death in spite of proper diagnosis and medication.  At the present time, there is no cure.
Jason's mother, Susan Gruen Helsinger, started the foundation in hopes of raising money and awareness so other families don't have to go through the terrible pain and suffering of losing a young child.  The foundation got off to a great start with a charity event in 1991 with stars such as former New York Knick Eddie Lee Wilkins in attendance to help promote the foundation.  The program from that night can be found by clicking here.
Back in 1986, when the foundation was first started, the purpose of the foundation was to develop methods to remove the constant threat of arrythmia and ultimate death of those afflicted with IHSS and further, to indentify those at risk.  Today, the foundation has stood true to its original purpose and has helped advance medicine to the point that dozens of children's lives have been saved.
More recently, Susan Gruen Helsinger, the Founder and President of the Jason F. Gruen Research Foundation has been working with many school districts to provide free echocardiograms for students.  Echocardiograms are a sonogram of the heart that can diagnose children with heart conditions which in turn can save lives. 

If you would like to send in a donation, please mail it to:

The Jason F. Gruen Research Foundation
803 Meadowoods Drive
East Meadow, NY 11554