About DFI
Deater Foundation Inc. (DFI) is a 501(c)(3) 
non-profit organization that was founded in May of 1990 in an effort to raise finances to fund research on HSAN1. The name comes from the fact that this foundation was started by members of the Deater family, a very large family in which many members are affected by HSAN1.
The initial hope behind creating DFI was that funding of research to study this disease would expedite the discovery of gene linkage which, in turn, would make possible new medical avenues such as genetic counseling, gene therapy, and/or treatment of the disease. More than 20 years later, a few of these goals have been realized, thanks in part to funding provided by DFI, and DFI continues to support research toward a treatment and cure for this debilitating disease.