MPS Families Find Community at Carolina Baseball Awareness Night

On a recent evening at UNC’s Boshamer Stadium, the focus extended beyond the game.

Families connected to the Muenzer MPS Research & Treatment Center gathered for Carolina Baseball’s MPS Awareness Night—an event designed to raise awareness for mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS), a group of rare genetic disorders, while also giving families time together outside of a clinical setting.

“It was just a safe place,” said Kim Stephens, DBA, executive director of the Center. “For a little while, nobody was worrying about MPS.”

Stephens brings a perspective that is both professional and deeply personal. She has worked closely with clinicians and researchers in the mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) community for years, while also raising her son, Cole, who was diagnosed with MPS II as a toddler and has participated in a clinical trial at UNC for more than a decade.

That dual role shapes how she sees moments like this.

“There was a sense that everyone was looking out for each other,” she said. “You don’t always get that outside of spaces like this.”

The evening brought together about 25 families, along with staff from the MPS Center. For many, it was a rare opportunity to connect in an environment that wasn’t defined by appointments, treatments, or uncertainty.

The event also honored the legacy of JR Anton, a young man from Nebraska with MPS II who developed a close bond with Carolina Baseball. Beginning with the team’s visit to Omaha for the College World Series in 2006, JR became closely connected with the program. For nearly two decades, he spent time with the team during visits to Chapel Hill—attending practices, getting to know players, and becoming part of the program in a way that meant a great deal to him and his family.

“Those days with the baseball team were always the highlight of JR’s year,” Stephens said.

Following his passing in 2024, the team has continued to recognize that connection. His mother, Kim Anton, threw a ceremonial first pitch prior to the game. She remains closely connected to the Center, where her other son also receives care.

For the children in attendance, the significance of the evening was simple: they were able to be kids, surrounded by others who understand their experience without explanation.

For parents and caregivers, that sense of ease can be harder to come by.

“It’s not often you get to step out of that mindset,” Stephens said. “This gave people a chance to do that, even if just for a few hours.”

Carolina Baseball’s partnership with the Muenzer MPS Center reflects a broader commitment to using its platform to support the community. By hosting the event, the program helped raise awareness for MPS while also creating space for families to connect with one another.

For the MPS Center, those connections are part of the mission. Advancing research and treatment is central, but so is supporting the day-to-day experience of families navigating these conditions.

Events like this one make that support visible.

Organizers hope to build on this year’s turnout and make MPS Awareness Night an annual tradition.

For Stephens, the value of the evening was straightforward.

“It was fun,” she said. “And that matters.”

To learn more about supporting families navigating MPS, please contact Mary Gard, Executive Director of Development, UNC Health Foundation, at [email protected] or (978) 549-8815.