Today I am in Toronto and gave my very first speech on CDH research at a medical conference. I was overwhelmed and terrified. But I did it. It has taken 20 years to get here and WE did it!
We spent years on our research abstract that we have a poster presentation for but just 2 weeks before the conference we were asked to present a speech on
Our families rallied together and we had a great response on such short notice.
Why is this research so important? Why was this speech so special? Because CDH families have never had a collective voice in research before. Because families are blindly raising their children not knowing what to expect because most of these children did not live until the 1980's. Because as a bunch of moms and dads, presenting research data at the same podium as surgeons, pulmonologists, neonatalogists and fetal doctors... this was the first step to being able to help our own children on a much larger scale.
A first step, but a tiny one. They still need research funding. They still need awareness. They still need more hope.
My job is no where near finished.
Sincerely,
Dawn M. Torrence Williamson
Determined CDH Mom
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