O Canada

June 2, 2014

After being eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens and then swept by the Toronto Blue Jays last week, the idea of going up to the FPWR Conference was met with some amount of poor sportsmanship on my part. Once I got over the total smack down by Canada’s sport teams however, I managed to have a very enjoyable time in the city of Toronto.

FPWR (Foundation for Prader Willi Research) Canada hosted a wonderful learning and networking national conference last week. It was a time for us to meet families and professionals committed to research and support. Many new families were present and they were surrounded by their peers, mentors and elders in the united effort to help those with PWS and the families that care for them. Chatting with parents, comparing notes with care-givers, meeting professionals filled the weekend with dynamic dialog. Our own Patrice Carroll participated in the panel discussion on Sunday and helped to allay the fears of families just embarking on this shared journey we call Prader-Willi Syndrome. The mission of the organization is to eliminate the challenge of PWS through the advancement of research. Since 2003, FPWR has already raised 2.5 million dollars toward meeting that goal. The conference concluded with a very successful One Small Step Walk in Brampton.  It was a beautiful day to be walking with our beautiful new friends.

Great job, FPWR Canada!

Submitted by:
Chris Gallant