Sunday, March 31, 2013

HAPPY EASTER!
 
 
Hard to believe the year's first quarter is done!  This March has been a good one, for me.  Brain Awareness was a success and we are planning for 2014.  Lots of brainstorming going on about new ways to generate awareness, donations and getting the word out about living with the various aspects of hydro in daily life.  Easter is also one of those times I find myself being thankful for everything that has come my way and to refocus on my goals for the future.

I'm really hoping that some of my long term goals for the Brain Awareness exhibit will happen in 2014.  I really want to build on what we've created over the last 15 yrs or so. 
Spring has definitely sprung!  The tulips and daffs are coming on strong.  Just waiting for the roses and lilacs to come into their own.  Just getting used to not wearing my coat everywhere!

Looking forward to April 20th, the next meeting for the group.  As always, looking forward to seeing familiar and new faces.  Always hoping to see those we haven't seen in awhile as well.  They were missed at last month's Brain Awareness event.
 
I've been reading a lot of articles about Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and other causes of hydro, posted/published by the CDC via the Seattle Public Library's database.  Very interesting and informative.  Our city and state leaders, as well as educators and coaches need to read these articles and take their information to heart.
 
Just a quick note:  It was great to see that Kathi Goertzen was memorialized by WSU's Edward R. Murrow School of Journalism by having naming a building after her.  Kathi was a great person and a longtime Seattle journalist who battled non-cancerous tumors for over a decade before losing that battle in 2012.  She is definitely missed.  But with her foundation and WSU's tribute to her, she will always be remembered.
 
 
 
Hope to see everyone on the 20th!



Tuesday, March 19, 2013

March 2013 Meeting

MARCH 2013 MEETING


We reviewed the 2013 UW Brain Awareness Open House event and all agreed that it was one of our most successful to date.  Already planning for 2014, which will be our 16th year as an exhibitor at the event.  Hard to believe how fast the time has gone.

Wanted to thank Dr. Eric Chudler for organizing the event and for providing the pictures posted in the last blog post.  I am looking forward to getting more from someone else.  Also wanted to thank Bobbe & Dean Andersen for coming up for the event from Olympia.  It is always great having them being a part of the meeting and events.

Also wanted to thank Dave, from Medtronic, for coming again.  It is always nice having Medtronic at our table, showing the kids, parents and teachers how a shunt works and how they've evolved.  This year he also brought a video that was popular with the kids.

Getting to this month's meeting was a real challenge, with all the detours due to road work and the growing chaos from sporting event fans in Pioneer Square.  I do want to appologize, again, for being late to the meeting.  All I can say is that getting TO the meeting was a piece of cake compared to getting home!

We did speak with a teacher or two who asked if we do speaking engagements at schools.  We would LOVE to do them, but we rarely get asked.  The more people who know about hydrocephalus the better, especially prevention.





Friday, March 8, 2013

BRAIN AWARENESS OPEN HOUSE--2013
 Tuesday, March 5th was the 2013 Brain Awareness Open House, sponsored by the University of Washington.  This was our 15th year as an exhibitor at this event and we got to meet with 600-700 students from Western Washington from grade school to high school.  As always, it was great meeting the kids, parents and teachers that came.

Kim Andersen, Frank Cook, Diana Pozzi and Kim's mother, Bobbie Andersen manned our booth.  We were fortunate to have Medtronic's shunt rep Dave Schinkel also attend.  He brought some great visual aids and a dvd of a shunt surgery that the kids got to watch.

It is always great to have the opportunity to answer questions and address myths and misunderstandings about hydrocephalus.  It is also nice to be able to let people see that we live full, productive lives with the condition of hydrocephalus.

We're already in the process of making plans for the 2014 event!

It was interesting to hear a teacher ask if we go to schools and make presentations, which we would love to do!  We have members who could make a presentation to students and classes, particularly in the Puget Sound area.  Our group has members throughout Puget Sound--from Olympia to Port Angeles.

As always, we encourage those interested in hydrocephalus to attend one of our monthly meetings.  We meet on the third Saturday of each month, in the Casey Room, from 12:45 pm to 3:00 pm.  The March meeting will be on March 16th.


Student & Bobbe Andersen
Frank Cook

Bobbe, Dave (Medtronic Rep), Kim, Frank & Diana