Kompassion was founded in honor of my son, Atlas, and the search for anything that can safely help him and other children like him. True to his namesake, Atlas has held the world on his shoulders. He has endured seizures, brain hemorrhages, brain surgery, and hydrocephalus. A month before COVID-19 hit the United States, Atlas was diagnosed with a rare terminal genetic brain condition called Alexander’s Disease (AxD), the result of a spontaneous mutation in his DNA. No one knows why a single gene — called GFAP — mutated. But it did. And that one little gene changed everything.   

Through all the challenges  I have advocated and fought for Atlas. That’s what Dads do, after all. I‘ve advocated for shared parenting rights, vaccine safety, and medical freedom. I have advocated for cannabinoids to help protect his brain and improve his quality of life. I’ve advocated to remove marijuana from Schedule I and open the floodgates of medical cannabis research. I’ve advocated for advancements in genetic, palliative, and integrated care. At every turn, I ran into the American healthcare system, government institutions, and the pharmaceutical industry.

When I saw the gaps, bureaucracy, and in some cases, total hypocrisy, I knew there was better way to help my child and others like him. That was the beginning of Kompassion. That’s when I took a stand for my child’s safety and quality of life and looked at the world with new eyes— eyes of kompassion. 

 Kompassion.org operates a Donor Advised Fund and deploys grants to impact projects, campaigns, research, and investments. We operate an impact first, financial return second, investment/grant model.

You’ve come to the right place to put kompassion into action.  

Kompassion, Founder