Conference Announcement

*Wanted to share this conference that is coming up here in Washington, DC in February. All are welcome, and break-out sessions will focus both on community and parish issues. I'm going to learn about the resources that the Archdiocese has, as well as to make some connections outside of our parish community.


Second Annual Conference on Faith, Deafness and Disabilities
Creating Communities Where All Are Welcome

February 13, 2010 • 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament
6001 Western Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20015


9:30: Welcome & Introduction
Monsignor John J. Enzler
Pastor, Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Chairman, Potomac Community Resources, Inc.

9:45: Keynote Presentation
Brian Cox, Executive Director,
Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council
“Disability Issues: The State We Are In”

Chuck Short, Special Assistant to
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett
“Creating Disability Program Opportunities in Your Parish and Community”

10:30-10:45 a.m.: Break

10:45- 12 Noon: Town Hall Meeting and Introduction of Session Presenters
Moderator: Rev. William Byrne,
Secretary for of Pastoral Ministries and Social Concerns of the Archdiocese of Washington

Noon: Recitation of the Angelus, followed by lunch
"Celebrating 50 Years of Service:
The Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute of Catholic Charities"

Daphne Pallozzi, Director of the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute
Delores Wilson, Founding Director of the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute and Director of Bethlehem House

Breakout Sessions
1:00 p.m.-1:50 p.m.
2:00 p.m.-2:50 p.m.
3:00 p.m.-3:50 p.m.

4:00 p.m.: Creating New Resources Through Collaboration
James M. Sullivan, President, and Steve Riley, Executive Director,
Potomac Community Resources, Inc.

4:15 p.m.: Wrap Up and the Way Forward (conclude by 5:05)
Rev. William Byrne

5:30 p.m.: Closing Liturgy and Commissioning
Most Reverend Donald W. Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington
Registration is $15. Sign up online.
Questions? Please contact Peg Kolm or 301-853-4560

•••

We wish to thank and acknowledge our sponsors for this year's conference:

Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute of Catholic Charities
Potomac Community Resources, Inc.
Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind
Deaf-REACH

•••

Breakout sessions: there are two types: community workshops and parish workshops

Community Workshops

Creating Residential Opportunities
Creating Recreational/Social/Employment Opportunities
Promoting Shared Interests Though Effective Advocacy
Creating Access to Blind Awareness (TBD)
Legal and Financial Planning for Special Needs Families
Parish Workshops

Catechesis
Life Issues and Prenatal Diagnosis
Deaf Ministry
Hispanic Ministry
Creating Parish Ministry
Inclusion Options in Catholic Schools for Students with Special Needs
Meeting of Liturgical Sign Language Interpreters for the Archdiocese of Washington

Back and Completely Inspired

I think it's safe to say that I experienced every single emotion possible this past week when I went to Nashville for the HLAA conference. I am beyond thrilled that I was able to attend, and learned so much that will help me in my journey as a hearing mother to a deaf child. Many tears were shed, mostly tears of joy.

I had the opportunity to attend some really great sessions and workshops, including the Research Support Symposium that focused on Hair Cell Regeneration. I cruised the exhibit hall everyday and visited with some really interesting vendors that included both our hearing aid and CI manufacter, and several different assistive devices that one day we'll need with Christian. I even had an opportunity to chat with some representatives from Gallaudet about my interest in their SLP program.

While the exhibit hall and the workshops were extremely informative, the connections that I made with other attendees were by far the most valuable component of the entire conference for me. I had the wonderful opportunity to FINALLY meet my online friends Abbie, Jen, and Laurie. These 3 ladies have been such a support for me during the past 2 years, and I was incredibly grateful to finally hug them in person. Abbie and I are very much alike in so many ways (we've always joked about that in blog comments and emails), but it was confirmed on Friday when we realized we had the same cut and highlight :) Jen welcomed me with her signature smile, and I had such a fun time out to dinner with her and beautiful family. And Laurie always seemed to be able to introduce me to the right person at the right time. My friend Mike, who lives in my area (and who nominated me for my scholarship to HLAA) made sure I didn't get lost in the hustle and bustle of the conference. I made some good friends thanks to their introductions!

I learned so much from these folks while I was there, and I am sure that they were all just about FRIED after all the questions I constantly bombarded them with. I think one of the hardest things for me as a hearing Mom is not knowing what exactly Christian hears (and doesn't hear). As adult CI users, they were able to give me their unique perspectives on the experience of wearing Cochlear Implants. My extent of socializing with CI users is the occasional CI playgroup that I attend with Christian. I really enjoyed seeing my friends interact with one another (and how we communicated together). There was one night when a group of us went to The Wildhorse Saloon. I was beyond impressed with how well everyone heard, and even was able to identify different instruments in the band that was playing. I of course, kept asking 'Do you hear the cymbals? What about the tambourine? Can you hear the lyrics?". I couldn't help it. My friends were such a great window into the world of Cochlear Implants, and the D/HOH community. I really appreciated their willingness to share their experiences, both good and bad with me. They welcomed me into their community with open arms (and ears!). I was worried at first how I would fit in, yet by day 2 of the conference, felt completely at home.

Attending the HLAA truly opened my eyes and my heart. As I was on the plane on Sunday morning heading back to my family, I thought back to the beginning of my journey with Christian. I was always so worried that he would feel alone. That he would be by himself, and on the outside. If I learned ANYTHING this weekend, it's that the miracle of the Cochlear Implant has opened up so many options for deaf individuals. It was a nice little glimpse into how bright the future looks for Christian.



Laurie, Abbie, Jen and I at the Birthday Celebration. This was one of the only pictures I can find of the four of us where we're not all laughing. We had such a fun time!


I think the only thing that the gang held against me was that we're a Cochlear family, and they all wore AB processors :)


By far, the funniest shirt I've seen. Abbie rocking the shirt!

Countdown to Nashville

Not much has changed since my last post. I'm still exhausted. I'm still trying to do a zillion things at once. I'm still trying to balance work and life. In fact, if life wasn't crazy enough with two part-time jobs that I do from home, I decided to venture into babybow and binky clip making. More to come on LilyBean Designs in the future :) I still have all the pressures of a typical Mommy, with all the pressures of a "typical" CI Mommy on top of those. The sleep gods are plotting against me. Last night was the first night both kids slept well. I went to bed super-late, only to be awoken at 3:45am by the beeping of what we thought was our carbon monoxide alarm. Yeah, that was great. After we troubleshooted it for an hour, I laid in bed worrying about Christian's safety as a Deaf kid. I made a mental list of all the things we needed to do in our house to make it more safe for him and his hearing loss. And then before I knew it, it was 5:45am.

Chuck reminded me in the wee hours this morning that the much needed break I have been complaining about is coming up at the end of this week when I head to Nashville for the HLAA Convention. While I'll be in meetings and networking most of the day and well into the evening, I get to look forward to uninterrupted sleep, and the possibility of sleeping in until 7:30-8:00 in the morning. I honestly can't remember the last time that happened. I am going to miss my babies terribly (especially since I am still nursing Lily), but having some adult time and some "me" time is exciting to me! I just wish that Chuck could've joined me so he could attend the convention as well.

There are some really cool topics being covered, and I'm particularly interested in the research symposium on hair cell regeneration. I'm checking out the program guide and planning what workshops and panels I want to hit.

HLAA Hear I Come!

I was so excited to learn last week that I was awarded a scholarship to attend the upcoming HLAA convention in Nashville this June. What a great opportunity to not only attend some really cool workshops and symposiums (the symposium on Hair Cell Regeneration looks fascinating!), but to also FINALLY meet many of the folks in the D/HOH community that I've connected with online over the past 2 years. I'm also really looking forward to actually attending a convention in lieu of planning one. Before becoming the C.O.O. and lead SLP in my family, I worked full time as a meeting planner, organizing large conventions like this one. I'm sure I'll have the urge to do room checks and plot signage while onsite. Once a Meeting Planner, always a meeting planner :)

I hope to connect with other parents of CI kiddos--please let me know if you'll be there!