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In this Issue:
President's Message
2021 Parent University Webinar Class Schedule Announcement!
The Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) Foundation Board of Directors Welcomes
Mary Anne Ehlert!
Boston Woman Bakes With A Mission, Hires People Of All Abilities
Integrative Touch for Kids: Conversation on Healing Podcast Live on February 11th!
This is Where We Will Be...
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Dear Clients and Friends,
Happy New Year! 2021 is going to be a great year; after all, we made it through 2020, we developed some new "grit" as I call it, and we have new skills at 'hanging in there". Many of us spent time cleaning house, improving our skills with online tools, and getting to know the people we live with just a little better. I like to keep looking at the bright side of our world.
2021 is shaping up for Protected Tomorrows to be a very busy year. We have our new Parent University™ ready to go with some new exciting content. We will be starting our own educational podcast program, interviewing pioneers in our world of those who have made a difference in our families lives, and those who we hope will be the future pioneers. I participated in some podcasts myself; it was exciting to work with some friends who I highly respect in their fields. We have added team members, to help us find new solutions for families, and we keep brainstorming about new ways we can help.
The first podcast I participated in was entitled "Conversations on Healing", with Shay Beider, Executive Director at Integrative Touch for Kids. The article below includes the details of its release in February. I also participated in a podcast with David Hirsch's Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad podcast. We will share the details of its release as soon as it is available. I truly appreciated the opportunity to share my stories with more families then just our own reach.
I'm delighted to join the Board of Directors of CdLS. You will see more about that in this issue. I hope to make a difference to the families this organization serves.
There are some enlightening articles in this issue. Also, you can read about where we will be and some of the new presentations we will be giving. I wish you all a fabulous beginning of this new and hopeful 2021.
Warmest regards,
Mary Anne Ehlert,
Founder & President
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Presented by Mary Anne Ehlert, all webinar classes will be held via Zoom and attendees are required to register:
Our first webinar class, New Year, New Resolution... Keeping Your Life Care Plan Moving Forward, will be held on Thursday, January 21, 2021 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm CST. Click here to register for this class.
The third webinar class, Recordkeeping 101: Finances, Taxes and Special Needs Trust, will be held on Thursday, March 18, 2021 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm CST. Click here to register for this class.
We look forward to you joining us!
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by Renee Fabian | The Mighty
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added Down syndrome to its list of underlying conditions with an increased risk for serious COVID-19 complications. Down syndrome advocates had been calling for the change for months.
Down syndrome appeared in the CDC's Dec. 23 update to its list of higher risk conditions linked to severe COVID-19 complications. In a summary explaining the changes, the CDC said the update reflects "recent data supporting increased risk of severe illness among persons with Down syndrome from the virus that causes COVID-19."
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Several studies have shown that people with developmental disabilities have a higher risk for COVID-19 complications. One analysis found people with developmental disabilities were four times more likely to get COVID-19 and two times more likely to die compared to their typical peers. A second study came to similar conclusions.
People with Down syndrome also have unique risks for COVID-19 complications because they are more likely to have other health complications. Chronic heart issues, some requiring surgery, are common, as well as diabetes, asthma or a compromised immune system.
"Down syndrome alone doesn't come with an increased risk for severe complications from this virus," Dr. Abbie Smith, a pediatrician and mother of a child with Down syndrome, said on an episode of " The Hope Story" podcast. "We have to look at the underlying conditions that are sometimes associated with Down syndrome."
Because of these underlying factors, advocates pushed for the addition of Down syndrome to the CDC's list. This will also potentially help prioritize people with Down syndrome to get the COVID-19 vaccine earlier in the process.
In addition to Down syndrome, the CDC's latest update added sickle cell disease and chronic kidney disease for children as higher risk conditions for serious COVID-19 illness. Other chronic illnesses on the list include heart conditions, cancer, obesity, chronic kidney disease and diabetes, among others.
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The Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) Foundation Board of Directors Welcomes Mary Anne Ehlert
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Boston Woman Bakes With A Mission, Hires People Of All Abilities
by NBC Nightly News
Collette Divitto, a 30-year-old woman with Down syndrome, opened Collettey's, a Boston bakery with a mission to hire and inspire people of all abilities. Collette's mom Rosemary says her daughter has "turned a passion for baking into push for acceptance and equality."
Collette herself says, "Do not focus on your disabilities, focus on your abilities. Always, always be who who you are." During the pandemic, Collettey's has donated treats to nursing homes, health care workers and those on the front lines.
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Boston Woman Bakes With A Mission | NBC Nightly News
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Integrative Touch for Kids: Conversations on Healing Podcast Live on February 11th!
Recently, Mary Anne Ehlert was featured on Integrative Touch for Kids (ITK) Conversations on Healing Podcast where host Shay Beider, Executive Director of ITK, features interviews with top healthcare leaders and practitioners about the world of wellness, the powers of medicine, and what it means to heal today. This podcast is an amazing resource for anyone looking for wellness resources who wants to learn more about health and healing in the modern world.
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Shay and Mary Anne discussed how Mary Anne brings security and peace of mind to thousands of individuals with special needs and their families through Protected Tomorrows. Mary Anne shares how her career was inspired from being a caretaker at a very young age for her sister who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Mary Anne gives vital advice about some of the top "need-to-knows" for a family who has a child with special needs, and some of the changes she wishes to see within the system to recognize the value in hiring and educating people with different abilities.
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This is Where We Will Be...
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Sponsored by: One Sky Community Services
Online Zoom Webinar
Online Zoom Class
Sponsored by: Virginia Tech
Online Zoom Webinar
Sponsored by: Special Olympics Illinois
Online Zoom Webinar
Sponsored by: One Sky Community Services
Online Zoom Webinar
Online Zoom Class
Sponsored by: Next Steps Plainfield
Online Zoom Webinar
Online Zoon Class
Online Zoom Class
Online Zoom Class
Sponsored by: NBIA
Online Zoom Webinar
Online Zoom Class
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