Angelman Syndrome Conference

This year we were able to attend the Angelman Syndrome Conference in Orlando, FL. Much thanks to my parents who were able to travel with us at their own expense. We stayed at the Hilton Resort at Walt Disney World because this was the hotel where the conference was held. We arrived on Monday morning (7-27). It was Kendal's first flight and she did really well. Tuesday we had the opportunity to visit Magic Kingdom with Kendal. She really seemed to enjoy it. She always seemed to have a curious look at all that was going on around her.

Staying in a small hotel room with an extremely hyperactive child is not a good thing, we have learned. We tried to stay out of our room as much as possible because she totally wrecked havoc on everything. From pulling out the mini fridge from the cabinet, to turning the radio alarm on full blast, Kendal was into everything. Me and James received little rest during the week but that is to be expected with Kendal's sleep issues and the fact that she was in a new place. When we would come down for breakfast we would look around to all the other parents who were up most of the night with their angels. No explanations were needed.

Although we attended many classes that were offered as part of the conference; such as: Just for Moms/Just for Dads, Communication Practices, Latest Research Findings, Sleep Issues, Assisted Technology, Benefit Planning, and Behavior Issues - we still found the most important thing to be meeting so many other families/angels that have or are currently walking in our shoes. We of course felt extremely blessed when we saw the magnitude of other children's disabilities compared to Kendal, but we still know that we have our own battles to face. We met so many wonderful people from all over the country and even in Brazil. I am eagerly awaiting some emails from other families and hope to stay in contact with them through the years. Most importantly, it was nice to see people be where we are now and continue to encourage us that things will get better in many ways and our obstacles will change as Kendal grows but no matter what we will be OK.

I really hope we can go to more of these conferences that are held every other year. I know that I have made some lasting friendships and I am so grateful for being able to attend.