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ABOUT THE MISSION

A NONPROFIT BUILT BY A SURVIVOR. not for him.

Moyamoya disease affects 1 in 100,000 people. Most doctors outside major neurology centres have never diagnosed a case. We exist to change that through awareness, research funding, and patient support.

Help fund research Read Vince's story
$36K+ RAISED OF $100K
10,000+ REHAB MILES
4+ MEDIA FEATURES
1 MISSION

Authored by Vince Murdock, moyamoya survivor and the Miles for Moyamoya team. Last updated 25 May 2026.

WHY LIVED EXPERIENCE MATTERS

A NONPROFIT LED BY SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH IT.

Most rare disease charities are run by family members or clinicians who care deeply but have never lived inside the diagnosis. Miles for Moyamoya is different.

Vince Murdock was diagnosed with moyamoya disease in 2019. He spent eight hours on the operating table at Stanford. He learned to walk, ride, and fight again with a four-inch scar down the side of his head. Every fact on this site, every patient story we share, every awareness campaign we organise is filtered through someone who has actually lived it.

That kind of direct, first-person experience is what Google's quality guidelines now call the first E in E-E-A-T: Experience. We mention it not because of search rankings, but because patients searching for moyamoya information deserve to know who is writing the words they are about to trust with one of the scariest moments of their life.

Read the full founder bio →

WHAT WE DO

THREE PILLARS.
ONE MISSION.

01. AWARENESS

Make the invisible visible

Most people will never hear the word moyamoya unless someone they love is diagnosed with it. That is the problem we are solving first. Every media feature, every social post, every conversation about this disease helps potential patients recognise symptoms before it is too late. Vince's story has reached millions through ESPN, ABC10, and The US Sun. Awareness is not a one-time event. It is a daily commitment to making sure a disease that affects 1 in 100,000 people stops being invisible to the other 99,999.

02. RESEARCH FUNDING

Fund the work that saves the next person

Rare diseases receive a fraction of the research funding that more common conditions attract. Moyamoya is no exception. The surgical techniques that saved Vince's life exist because researchers refused to accept that a rare diagnosis means an abandoned patient. We fund that same refusal. $36,000+ raised so far through endurance events, media appearances, and community fundraising. Every dollar goes toward earlier detection methods, improved surgical techniques, and the long road toward a cure. The goal is $100,000.

03. PATIENT SUPPORT

Nobody faces this alone

When Vince was diagnosed, he had never heard of moyamoya disease. He did not know where to turn, who to talk to, or what his future looked like. That isolation is one of the cruelest parts of a rare disease diagnosis. We connect newly diagnosed patients with resources, medical specialists, and a community of people who understand exactly what they are going through. Nobody should face moyamoya without knowing that someone else has been there and come out the other side.

100%

GOES TO THE MISSION.

Donations fund research, patient support, and awareness. Not overhead. Not salaries. Not staging.

See where the money goes →
WHO LEADS IT

VINCE MURDOCK, FOUNDER.

Born March 21, 1991 in Lapeer, Michigan, Vince grew up with his father incarcerated. Without a steady presence at home, he channelled everything into fighting. He moved to Sacramento to train at Team Alpha Male under UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber and built a professional MMA record of 12-6-0 (1 NC), with 9 of his 12 wins by KO/TKO, across Bellator, Dana White's Contender Series, and The Ultimate Fighter Season 29 (Team Ortega).

In June 2019, while preparing for his UFC Minneapolis debut against Jordan Griffin, a pre-fight brain scan required by Minnesota's athletic commission revealed his left carotid artery was 100% blocked by moyamoya disease. Dr. Gary Steinberg performed the eight-hour craniotomy and cerebral artery bypass on November 13, 2019. Vince was the first professional athlete Steinberg performed moyamoya surgery on.

After surgery, he discovered cycling during rehabilitation and rode 10,000+ miles in eight months. His bypass vessels quadrupled in size. Three months post-surgery he was back sparring. By May 2020, Dr. Steinberg cleared him to compete. On November 4, 2020, he fought on DWCS on national television. He has been sober since the day of his surgery.

Today, sponsored by Ventum Racing, Vince races Unbound XL (350 miles), Sea Otter Classic, Grinduro, and Sacramento Cyclocross. He has raised $36,000+ for moyamoya awareness and research through endurance events and media appearances.

Full author bio →

THE RECEIPTS

WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR.

$36K+ RAISED
10,000+ MILES RIDDEN
4+ MAJOR FEATURES
3+ PODCAST APPEARANCES
1 CURE TO FIND
JOIN THE FIGHT

HELP FUND THE CURE.

Every donation, every share, every conversation about this disease brings us closer to earlier diagnoses and better treatments for patients everywhere.

Donate now See our impact