About Us

The Alagille Syndrome Alliance (ALGSA) is the leading 501c3 patient advocacy organization in the world serving families affected by Alagille Syndrome, a rare cholestatic liver disease and one of over 7,000 rare diseases in the world.

The ALGSA staff and board is made up of professionals in the ALGS community including patients, caregivers, and friends all deeply understanding of the complex and difficult nature of ALGS.

MISSION STATEMENT Mobilizing resources, facilitating connections, promoting unity, and advocating for a cure to inspire, emopower, and enrich the lives of people affected by Alagille Syndrome.”

VISION ALGS Warriors thrive in a close-knit community full of loving support, easily accessible resources, and life affirming hope.

GOALS

  • Support the ALGS community by continuing our innovative efforts that emphasize education, opportunities to connect, access to resources, and individual support.
  • Build capacity to increase engagement in advocacy and research, helping support development of therapies that benefit ALGS Warriors around the globe.
  • Engage medical professionals to broaden knowledge of ALGS, develop guidelines for care, communicate with practitioners, and inform medical students through ALGS education.
  • Offer a symposium every three years for families to access resources that meet their needs and help them thrive.
  • Levereage staff resources and external relationships to stay financially healthy and sustainable.
  • Implement an operational model that allows for growth and continues to encourage flexibility and responsiveness to the needs of our community.

Founder

Cindy Luxhoj

is the mother of three young adults and Founder of the ALGSA. When Alaina, her first child, was born in 1990 and diagnosed at three months with ALGS, Cindy embarked on a quest for information in the world of rare disease and, in 1993, founded the ALGSA. During her 22-year tenure as President, Cindy dedicated her every available volunteer hour to helping families cope with the daily challenges of ALGS. Alaina lost her 24-year battle in January 2015 while waiting for a liver transplant and now lives on in the memory of the community who loved and admired her. Cindy left the ALGSA in September 2018 after serving on staff as Executive Director for nearly three years. Now, as Alaina did, she is living, laughing and loving every minute of the next chapter of her journey.

The ALGSAwarness Ribbon

YELLOW – for the liver and digestive system
RED – for the heart and circulatory system
GREEN – for the kidneys and renal system
BLUE – for the lungs and pulmonary system
PURPLE – for the brain and vascular system
CREAM/PEARL – for the skeletal system

The Alagille Syndrome Alliance awareness ribbon for ALGS was created in 2018 and reflects the significantly complex and uniquely varying severity of the disease throughout our ALGS community. This ribbon recognizes those affected by just a few organ systems and those affected by all organ systems. It is our hope that we can unite, relate and empower everyone dealing with ALGS, either mild or severe, and bring together those with significant organ representation who may not focus on ALGS as a whole but rather the organ system most affected.

We want our ALGS heart families, liver families, kidney families, and vascular families struggling through their diagnoses to know we are here fighting for them. We want to impress on our community that Alagille Syndrome cannot be treated as one single condition. Together, we can fight to find the cure through researching each organ system and supporting families who relate more to one significantly affected symptom. Our Alagille Syndrome awareness ribbon is meant to encourage our ALGS families, scientists, researchers, and donors and show the world that we cannot be separated by symptoms but rather united by uniqueness.

This multi-colored ribbon represents all of the major body systems affected by Alagille Syndrome. Each color may stand alone backed by the ALGSA. When combined, the ribbons form a strong and beautiful representation of all of our Alagille Syndrome Warriors!

As Alagille Syndrome affects so many systems, we want to spread the word to other communities. Our research could help others with quicker diagnosis and access to better treatments. If you are a part of any organizations or groups serving the communities of any of these systems, please share our information. Together, we can find better treatments and a cure for ALGS and other associated diseases!

Financial

The Alagille Syndrome Alliance is committed to the highest levels of transparency. Annually, we arrange for an external audit of our financial statements and make our financials available upon request. To verify our tax-exempt status, please use our tax ID# 93-1243619 to search.

Our Partners

Pharmaceutical and Industry Partners
Brand Name
Brand Name
Brand Name
Brand Name
Brand Name
Brand Name
Official ALGSA Media Partner
Brand Name

Media Partners

Brand Name
Brand Name
Brand Name
Storytelling and Creative Partner
Brand Name
Non Profit Partners
Brand Name
Brand Name
Registry Partners
Brand Name
Brand Name
Brand Name
Industry Partner
Brand Name

Staff

Roberta Smith

Roberta Smith

President
Roberta Smith

Cher Bork

Executive Director
Roberta Smith

Stephanie Mullett

Program Administrator

Roberta Smith

Karsten Baumgaertel

Scientific Research Coordinator

Board

Roberta Smith

Julia Bird

Chairman / Secretary

Roberta Smith

Todd Allen

Treasurer

Roberta Smith

Shambhavi Ravishankar

Director
Roberta Smith

Mike LaRosa

Director
Roberta Smith

Sean Kelley

Director

Honorary Emeritus Board Member

Roberta Smith

Alaina Hahn

Honorary Board Member

Medical Advisory Board

Roberta Smith

Dr. David Piccoli

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA

Roberta Smith

Dr. Binita Kamath

The Hospital for Sick Children

Toronto, Canada

Roberta Smith

Dr. Nancy Spinner

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA

Roberta Smith

Dr. Jeffrey Feinstein

Stanford Medicine Children’s Hospital

Palo Alto, CA

Roberta Smith

Dr. Henry Lin

Oregon Health & Science University

Portland, OR

Roberta Smith

Dr. Ruben Quiros

University of Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha, NE

Roberta Smith

Dr. Ronald Sokol

Children’s Hospital Colorado

Colorado Springs, CO

Roberta Smith

Dr. Duc Dong

Sanford Burnham Prebys –
Medical Discovery Institue

La Jolla, CA

Roberta Smith

Dr. Dennis Black

Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital

Memphis, TN

Roberta Smith

Dr. Philip Rosenthal

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital

San Francisco, CA

Roberta Smith

Dr. Kathleen Loomes

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA