COVID-19 is affecting many areas of life. While our Support Groups haven’t been able to meet in person because of Stay At Home orders across the country, many have gone virtual. Check our events calendar for upcoming virtual meetings. Below are recaps about some recent Support Group meetings. Greater Atlanta Support Group 4/18 Virtual Meeting Recap Submitted by Greg Rooks We had a great meeting on Saturday April 18th.  Not as good as seeing everyone in person but the Zoom video conferencing worked pretty good.  We had about 15 people joining us.  Jennifer Pagano’s presentat ..read more

Guest Author: Jay Armstrong, NAF Support Group Leader At my 7 year olds son’s first baseball practice the coach asked if a parent would be willing to help with a pop-up drill.  It was mid-day. Hot. And most of the parents were tucked deep in the shade. The coach, a guy I went to elementary school with, toed the dirt and waited.  “Any takers?” Maybe it was our shared past or because we are Facebook friends or I’ve been a coach myself–but I felt for him. Behind him stood a dozen 7 year olds in a loose circle, sweating, kicking dirt, and throwing rocks at each other.  Under hi ..read more

Check out the latest news and meeting recaps from our Ataxia Support Groups around the country. Chicago Ataxia Support Group - December Meeting Recap The Chicago Ataxia Support Group Meeting was held on Saturday, December 14. It was a good turn out with 17 people attending. We all enjoyed lots of yummy treats and group discussion getting to know each other, hearing from Dr. Opal about Ataxia research and management of Ataxia, talking about the Ataxia Conference in Denver, how to connect with others on social media, and Ataxia advocacy activities. Treasure Coast Ataxia Support Group ..read more

Author: Sherry McLaughlin, NAF Support Group Leader What do you do when you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a Rare Disease? You search for a physician who is knowledgeable, and you seek out others with the same condition. This is exactly why the Pacific Northwest Rare Disease Coalition hosts a Fair. What is the Pacific Northwest Rare Disease Coalition Fair? After a three-year Covid hiatus, the Fair was back with several hundred attendees being hosted by the Seattle Children’s Research Institute. The goal of the fair aims “To educate, engage and inspire our community about the im ..read more

Submitted by Shannon Dunphy Lazo Happy Holidays, everyone! We’re glad you were able to join us on Saturday. As people arrived, they were greeted, serving as a mini-introduction.  To those who were not able to attend: remember that Zoom is an excellent way to attend without having to worry about commuting/transportation, getting around, and planning. Meeting virtually is the best alternative right now to keep us and our loved ones safe. Carol T read our Mission Statement: The mission of the St Louis Ataxia Support Group is to support and meet the needs of the St Louis-area Ataxia communi ..read more

Virtual support group meetings will continue on through the winter months. Read the latest support group meeting recaps here. Find an upcoming meeting to join at www.ataxia.org/events. Treasure Coast Ataxia Support Group Meeting Recap - December 5th Submitted by Kathi Yule As people were checking into our zoom meeting on Saturday, December 5, 2020, Robert Dean started us off with sounds of Christmas.   At 11 am Lisa Cole opened the Support Group by sharing her screen which is full of sites to visit and become familiar with, for all kinds of help and questions that come u ..read more

Ataxia support groups continued to meet virtually during the pandemic. Find upcoming support group meetings at www.ataxia.org/events. Feel free to join a group outside of your area/state! Here are the most recent recaps. Treasure Coast Ataxia Support Group Meeting Recap - September 12 Submitted by Kathi Yule Our guest speaker was Sharon Veingrad, devoted educator and instructor of the Ageless Grace program. Sharon explained Ageless Grace as a brain-body program that stimulates the body as well as the brain.  There are 21 different exercises that enhance the neoplasticity of the ..read more

As the summer gets going, many of our Support Groups have been meeting virtually to stay connected. Check our events calendar for upcoming virtual meetings. Below are recaps about some recent Support Group meetings. Treasure Coast Ataxia Support Group Meeting - June 6th Submitted by Kathi Yule Lisa Cole opened our Virtual Treasure Coast Ataxia Support Group Meeting on Saturday, June 6 at 11:00 am. We enjoyed our joyful greetings and Lisa reviewed various web sites, virtual tours, and well as web-cams. On Youtube, you can search ataxia and continued to – rally.partners.org, excellent ..read more