Latest Wi-ACHD information and on-going additions to blog

WI-ACHD List-serv email - if you are not on the group email and reading this but would like to receive any emails from WI_ACHD Founder Patty Brown or from myself (running this blog) please feel free to email wi_adult_congenital_heart@yahoo.com - for blog quesitons or ideas please email me (Erica) at wi.achd@gmail.com or leave a comment in the comments section. - Erica ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From Patty - Hi all, I hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful spring weather!! I want to get going on desiging a brochure. My thought is a trifold, full color brochure that identifies us, and helps people find us. It will include our email address, blog address, facebook page, etc. I want to get them to healthcare providers all over Wisconsin to get the word out to ACHD patients that do not know we exist. I think the best way is to get the information to healthcare facilities. I like that our blog shows "faces of WI-ACHD" because it makes us real. Adults from 18 to 60 and many different backgrounds are a part of this group. At first I thought about a "poster child" on this brochure, but then I thought it would be better show that there are a lot of us from all over affected and we can carry out the "faces of WI-ACHD" idea as well. I am asking if you would consider sending me your picture so that I can put it into this brochure to fill in the background. It doesn't have to be a formal pic -- even one from every day life or doing something you enjoy. I will get my graphic artist at Northstar Printing to then put them all together. Dr. Earing is suggesting a less formal meet and greet this spring, and then having his office host a "community meeting" in fall. I think it is important for us to get together -- and May sounds good to me. Dr. Earing suggested a bowling night or something similar, instead of a formal "meeting" -- and to make it fun. What is best?? A week night?? A Sunday afternoon?? Let me know your thoughts, and if anyone wants to help organize our first meeting - speak up. Patty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -This is Erica again. I am continuing to collect pictures for the 'faces of wi-achd' slideshow and so with permission will use any pictures we receive here on the blog as well. If there are any articles anyone has found interesting and would like to share here please fwd those and I will add to our resource section which I hope to make in to an area that anyone can go to and find some of the latest journal articles that have been published on our disorders, syndromes and latest research. (pubmed is an excellent resource for this). I also once I get time would like to do different posts on different underlying CHD diagnoses including some of what our members are living with and including some of the genetic syndromes that have also been shared. Some of these can be passed on to children and I believe knowledge is power. I enjoy learning about what others are living with and how these different disorders and syndromes are treated, prognosis, etc and would like to share what I find with others. This will take some time and be an on-going process in-which I hope to get feedback on what you all think along the way. Thanks for stopping by and if you have suggestions please do feel free to chime in - we want this to be a community project - I will be the facilitator of sorts but this is everyones blog to share our lives, our triumps, family, surgeries and anything anyone wants to share! :)