News from the NODCC
Less Stress Holidays for Families of Children with Special Needs

By Bridget Rosebeary

The holidays have always been a time I’ve looked forward to. As a kid there were traditions my family had that I cherished. Picking out our fresh Christmas tree from one of the many tree lots that popped up around town, eating tamales at my grandma’s house on Christmas Eve, and driving around town to take in the best light displays. It always felt like a hopeful time of year, and I loved spending time with family and friends.

When my husband and I found out we were expecting our sweet little boy Grey, I imagined all the wonderful, fun filled traditions we would share and start as a family. I couldn’t wait to bake cookies with him and set them out for Santa or have a huge pile of wrapping paper thrown about on Christmas morning and see the joy and wonder on my little boy’s face when he woke up to see the big guy and his reindeer had come to visit.

As any new parents are when they have their first baby, we had no idea what was coming or what life would really be like with a child much less a child with a rare brain disorder (hypoplasia of the corpus callosum). Since having Grey we’ve had to learn how to adapt. Toss our expectations to the wayside and lean-in to what our little boy actually needs.

Continue reading Bridget’s story HERE to hear more on managing expectations during the holidays and the tips and adjustments she’s made with her family.

Meet Kara: North Carolina Blogger Who Created Blog to Overcome Anxiety

On the blog, read our interview with North Carolina blogger, Kara, a 31-year-old with partial agenesis of the corpus callosum. With the support of her mom, Kara was able to get the accommodations she needed to succeed in school. When she needed an outlet to help her anxiety, she created The Up Side blog to write about her favorite things and more. Click here to read the interview.
NODCC Exhibits at American Epilepsy Society Annual Conference

For the first time in 23 months, the NODCC was able to exhibit at an in-person medical conference. Managing Director, Barb Fonseca, attended the American Epilepsy Society conference in Chicago. During the event, Barb met with clinicians, neurologists, and researchers to discuss how to connect patients to resources and our organization. She also collected information from more than 50 contacts who want more information from the NODCC.
The Medical Outreach Program is an important way the NODCC is educating and building relationships with medical professionals to connect them to our community and the information they need. For more on our Medical Outreach Program, click here to read our blog from last September.
Thank You for Being Part of our Community and Contributing to the Holiday Campaign

We are in the midst of our season of gratitude! Connections with others have never been more important especially to those who understand the ups and downs of living with a disorder of the corpus callosum (or raising children with the conditions). We are grateful for our community at the NODCC – a community that gets it and comes together (even if it’s virtually) to support each other.

The funds raised during our holiday and end-of-year campaign go directly to the organization’s operating and program costs including website, printed resources, personal responses from staff, medical conferences and more.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated, shared or created a fundraiser for Giving Tuesday. We raised over $7,000 in just a few days and kicked off a wonderful holiday giving season.

If you would like to donate in the calendar year of 2021, please ensure the contributions are received by December 31.

Click here to make an online donation. If you would like to mail a check, please make check payable to: NODCC and mail to PMB 363, 18032-C Lemon Dr, Yorba Linda, CA 92886.
2022 Conference Registration Opens in December
 
Registration for the 2022 DCC Conference on July 1-3, 2022 in Frisco, Texas will open this month. All registration forms and hotel rate code will be posted to our website under Upcoming Conference. We will also share our initial event safety guidelines and information. More details on attending conference and speaker topics will be posted in the coming weeks.


The NODCC wishes you and your family a Happy Holiday!
Here are the latest opportunities to get involved with the NODCC community.
Connecting our DCC Community through Virtual Sessions

Virtual Calls Resume in January
No virtual community calls in December. We will resume calls in January.

Be on the lookout for these calls in January 2022:
January 15: Adults with DCC
January 15: Teens with DCC
TBD: Expecting & Parents of Newborns
TBD: Grandparents of the NODCC

If you would like to suggest a topic for a virtual session, please contact our Community Committee at community@nodcc.org.
Fundraisers & Donations
Matching Gifts:
​Don’t forget to check for matching funds from your employer. Many companies have matching gift programs that will equal or exceed employees’ charitable donation amounts.

Amazon Smile
Did you know that your regular Amazon purchases can help raise money for the NODCC? It's a donation opportunity provided through AmazonSmile. Help the NODCC and encourage your friends and family to list the NODCC as the preferred charity on your Amazon accounts. Start contributing today and add the NODCC to your AmazonSmile. Your quick click here makes a big difference!

Looking for other ways to support? The NODCC is searching for sponsors and partners who want to support our organization. We encourage all readers of the newsletter to send company names or potential company contact information to info@nodcc.org


Donate to keep our community thriving!



Contact Us
(714) 747-0063  info@nodcc.org nodcc.org