Canavan Foundation

The Canavan Foundation (CF) is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 by parents and friends of children with Canavan disease. The mission of the Canavan Foundation is to provide the latest information (including a list of testing sites) for the at-risk population, educate medical and other professional communities, and to support research. Canavan disease is a rare, inherited neurological disorder caused by an enzyme deficiency and characterized by poor muscle tone, progressive mental decline, poor head control, and/or blindness. Symptoms usually become apparent when an infant is three to nine months old. Currently there is no cure for the disease.