Rep. Mike Levin Honors Encinitas Resident Michaelle Jinnette as July 2026 Constituent of the Month

Michaelle Jinnette

Encinitas, CA—Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) named Encinitas resident Michaelle Jinnette as his July 2026 Constituent of the Month for turning a devastating diagnosis into a worldwide effort to bring research and hope to families facing rare KCNH1-related disorders.

Michaelle founded the Cure KCNH1 Foundation after her son Tristan received an ultra-rare genetic diagnosis at just 15 months old.[1] Now 6, Tristan cannot speak, has an intellectual disability, and lives with seizures that can put his health in serious danger.[2] His condition traces to a rare mutation in a single gene, KCNH1. Fewer than 100 children around the world are known to have it.

Rather than face the diagnosis passively, Michaelle and her husband, Kevin Witt, channeled their energy into action and built the Cure KCNH1 Foundation, a patient-led nonprofit dedicated to funding the research that could one day yield treatments and a cure. Relentless and resourceful, Michaelle personally reached out to rare-disease researchers across the globe, eventually connecting with Dr. Alfred L. George, Jr., a Northwestern University pharmacologist and leading expert in the genetic disorders known as channelopathies.[3] That partnership has helped spark new scientific research into KCNH1-related conditions where little existed before.

A licensed Marriage and Family Therapist by profession, Michaelle has brought a therapist's instinct for connection to her advocacy. What began as one mother's search for answers has grown into an international community of affected families, researchers, and supporters united behind a common cause.

See below for Rep. Levin's statement recognizing Michaelle Jinnette in the Congressional Record:

“Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Michaelle Jinnette, a resident of Encinitas, as my Constituent of the Month for July 2026.

“When Michaelle’s son Tristan was diagnosed with an ultra-rare genetic condition, she and her husband, Kevin, refused to accept that there was nothing to be done. Instead, they founded the Cure KCNH1 Foundation and set out to build related scientific research and inspire hope that did not yet exist for families like theirs.

“Michaelle’s determination has connected families across the globe and helped launch new research into a disorder shared by fewer than 100 children worldwide. She has shown that one parent's love, paired with tireless resolve, can move the frontiers of medicine forward.

“I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating Michaelle Jinnette, and in thanking her for the strength, compassion, and leadership she brings to families facing rare disease everywhere.”

Rep. Levin’s Constituent of the Month program recognizes outstanding North County San Diego and South Orange County residents who have gone above and beyond to help their neighbors, give back to their community, and represent the best of our country. Rep. Levin’s June 2026 Co-Constituents of the Month were Oceanside Residents Esmeralda Gonzalez and David Ontiveros, both exhibit extraordinary dedication to supporting the LGBTQ community in North County San Diego. Levin’s May 2026 Constituent of the Month was 101-year-old WWII Veteran Alfred Sabory, California native and current San Clemente resident, enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at just 17 years old.

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