World Coming to New Jersey To Learn About Moebius Syndrome
International Medical Conference Expects Nearly 400 Visitors from 12 Countries
Parsippany, NJ (June 27, 2008) – Nearly 400 visitors from a dozen countries are headed to New Jersey this summer for an international conference on Moebius Syndrome and related conditions.
The conference, sponsored by the Moebius Syndrome Foundation, will be held July 11 -13, 2008 at the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel in Parsippany, N.J.
A lineup of 35 speakers includes surgeons, speech therapists, psychologists, medical researchers, individuals and parents who will discuss Moebius Syndrome, a rare neurological condition in which the 6th and 7th cranial nerves are missing or incomplete. The distinctive Moebius Syndrome symptoms are craniofacial:
Katherine Wasilewski, conference chair, noted that more than 350 registrants are coming to New Jersey from near and far (including United States, Canada, Brazil, Italy, England, South Africa, and Israel) for this year’s three-day conference.
“The Moebius Syndrome Foundation conference is a watershed event for people and families affected by Moebius Syndrome,” she noted. “At every conference for the past 14 years, many individuals who once thought they were absolutely alone with the conditions and symptoms of Moebius Syndrome have had the life-changing experience of meeting others with Moebius Syndrome.
“Undoubtedly, that learning and discovery will happen again this year,” continued Wasilewski, whose 15-year-old son, Christopher, has symptoms of Moebius Syndrome. “What’s more, returning families and adults with Moebius Syndrome will get together, make new friends and reconnect with old friends.”
The conference agenda also includes medical professionals from Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins, University of Toronto, and Children’s Hospital Boston, each of whom is pursuing clinical and laboratory answers to the cause and conditions of Moebius syndrome. Keynote speakers are author/comedian David Roche and CNN White House senior supervising producer Tim McCaughan.
The Moebius Syndrome Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission of: providing information and support to individuals with Moebius syndrome and their families, promoting greater awareness and understanding of Moebius syndrome, and advocating for scientific research to advance the diagnosis and treatment of Moebius syndrome and its associated conditions.
For more information, visit www.moebiussyndrome.com and www.moebiusNJ.org
