Wednesday, October 8, 2008

American Heart Association Conference

I am so excited to announce that I will be the keynote speaker at the American Heart Association Heart Heroes Conference in Panama City Beach, Florida on October 11, 2008. The title of my speech will be Raising a Child with a Congenital Heart Defect. It's the same title as last year's speech in Miami, but I wrote a new speech just for the occasion. Last year my speech was more didactic. This year my speech is more storytelling -- which is what I do best!

I'll also be giving a speech for another session. The title of this speech is Planning My Bright Future. I revised the speech I gave last year to include some new information. It's one of my favorite speeches to give because I tell some of my favorite stories in it. I love sharing success stories of people I've had the chance to come to know in the CHD world.

I'm eager to make some new friends in Panama City Beach. Attending heart conferences really keeps me connected to the CHD world in a special way. Every time I go to one conference, I find myself seeking out other conferences. I wondered if after Alex was older I would still think about his heart defect. I don't dwell on it like I did when he was younger, but I find myself wondering how my heart friends are doing and hoping that they are leading the same good quality of life that Alex is now. I guess attending these conferences makes me more hopeful than ever.

No comments: