IDEAS - Isodicentric 15 | IDEAS Promotes Regional Gatherings

IDEAS Promotes Regional Gatherings

One of the ways IDEAS meets its mission of providing support to families is by promoting regional gatherings. These get togethers offer families the opportunity to make new friends, renew old ties, and spend some relaxed time together with other families. It is a unique opportunity to spend time with families who completely understand the challenges and joys of raising a child with a chromosome 15q duplication.

2006 Family Gathering In New Jersey, USA
“We had a great time with the four families who came to our house over the weekend! We talked, ate, swam and shared so much about our children and our lives. I especially enjoyed the relaxed
feeling I had around friends who have so much in common! It was a pleasure seeing all of our children, typical and dup15q run around, laugh, walk parents around the house, chase the dogs, help each other out and love each other the way all children should do. I believe that we were all special people that day.”

IDEAS provides a listing of families in your area, and also offers small grants to any gathering of four or more IDEAS families to help with the cost of food at these gatherings.

Regional gatherings can take many different forms.

A Potluck at the home of an IDEAS family
A picnic and day playing at a state park
A weekend at a camp ground
A more formal meeting with professionals
A night spent at a centrally located hotel

The format of the gathering is determined by the regional gathering coordinator and the families who want to attend. Anyone can be a regional gathering coordinator – all it takes is a desire to get people together and a little bit of planning!

2004 Gathering in Bersenbrück, Germany
“Everyone had a great time and we will surely repeat these meetings in the future. We found many friends and since the meeting our idic15-eu group on yahoo groups is exploding with new activity.”