05/01/2021 - 12/31/2021

What a rough challenging year this has been for everyone particularly me. It was literally a major bummer since I had just finished recovering from my ten weeks stay at Lee Memorial Rehab and two months at home doing home physical therapy due to my femur fracture rodding surgery in Sept 2019. But I have to admit although it has been difficult I learned a lot about myself, broaden my horizons and still was involved with a lot of activities even while staying home, social distancing to avoid getting COVID-19.

As many of you know I lost my job in December 2019 due to my fracture and recovery from my surgery. I applied for SSDI and luckily, I got approved right before COVID hit. I have been incredibly thankful for this time to myself as I did make a promise to myself that if I wasn’t working I would help others in any way I could. I have been quite involved with St. Michaels All Angels Episcopal Church. I was on the Search Committee for our new Rector and what a wonderful experience that was to be part of and I sure learned a lot. It wasn’t an easy task as we also loved our past minister for 10 years but we are incredibly thankful though for our new Rector and his wife and all they have offered and continue to offer our church. I helped many parishioners learn Zoom over this past year and helped create and head up our Zoom Social hour after the online church service. I also helped run the Christian Education Forum series via Zoom and actually gave a presentation on my Spiritual Journey which you can find at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MORItIwGtw

Once the vaccines came out our church created a Vaccine Ministry Team and I helped book appointments for parishioners and friends to get their vaccine. This ministry team helped 200 people. It was a challenge for me to get the vaccine but luckily, I was finally able to get my first dose in February and second dose in March. I hope you are vaccinated or soon will be too. It is so important for everyone to get it as we all have to help each other so we can get back to somewhat sense of normalcy.

As you know Osteogenesis Imperfecta is also known as brittle bones disease. Even though I have incurred over 46 fractures over my lifetime I also have to be careful because my collagen make-up can also affect our heart and lungs. If someone with OI were to get COVID it could be fatal to us. I am thankful that I didn’t get it and also haven’t fractured this past year. One of my fears has been having to be admitted to the hospital and not having an advocate with me. It is a crazy world we live in. A year ago, if you had told me we were still going to be going through this I would have said “no way”!

The OI Foundation staff has done an outstanding job of keeping the Foundation going despite having to cancel all in person events due to the pandemic. The online events they have done this past year have been amazing between the virtual national conference, the Friendsgiving celebration, New Year’s celebration, mini regional meetings, support group meetings, and also numerous COVID sessions where our top medical advisory doctors have helped give information and guidance during this pandemic to OI patients and other non-oi Drs. looking for advice. Because of all these online events the Foundation has connected to many OI people from around the world which has expanded our outreach and helped many new people whom haven’t been involved before. Without people like you the Foundation would not be able to continue to offer these services particularly during this critical time. I have also helped with these programs either as a participant or as a speaker.

The Bone China Tea event has raised over $640,000 over the last 28 years. I hope you will be able to join us this year for another cup of tea, to help us find a cure and show your “Unbreakable Spirit”!