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2011 Anaheim
LPA Conference:
Memories for a lifetime thanks to your generous support! With your gracious support the Potentials Foundation was able
to sponsor its 5th annual conference in conjunction with the Little People of America (LPA). The LPA, which is
the umbrella organization that serves all forms of dwarfism, holds its annual conference each summer in a different city over
the 4th of July holiday week. This years conference was in Anaheim California, a great location since it was only
a mile from Disneyland. Since most of our
families live a long way from each other, our annual conference provides a time to reconnect and spend time together. This
time is invaluable to both our children and young adults with primordial dwarfism as well as their siblings and parents. The Potentials Foundation sponsored a Sunday night social as well as two
medical/technical symposiums. Dr. Gary Steinberg, head of neurosurgery at Stanford University Hospital, explained the association
of MOPDII with aneurysms and moya moya. He has performed life saving surgeries on 8 members of our registry. Dr. Craig Langman,
Professor of kidney diseases at Chicago Memorial Hospital, discussed the association of MOPDII and kidney disease. Dr. Andrew
Jackson, Medical Geneticist of Western General Hospital in Edinburgh Scotland, presented his new gene research findings. Dr.
Jackson and his lab have identified multiple genes associated with primordial dwarfism. Dr. Michael Bober, Medical Geneticist
of AI duPont Hospital for Children attended. Melanie Dixon, education specialist, discussed learning issues associated with
primordial dwarfism. The presentations were outstanding and families went home with a new and expanded knowledge about the
various forms of primordial dwarfism.
The LPA kindly provided meeting rooms for our primordial
dwarfism workshops as well as an appetizer for our primordial dwarfim social meeting on Sunday evening. Thank you LPA
and thank you to the many sponsors of the Potentials Foundation!
2010 Nashville
LPA Conference:
Fun family fellowship…loads of learning…memories
made…buddies bonded – All thanks to your generous gifts! 
Thank you for giving to Potentials Foundation.
Your support enabled us to unite our families at the LPA National Conference in Nashville for our 4th annual gathering.
Conference is an incomparable experience, filled with the most unique interactions, information, and friendships. Your
donations gave children the extraordinary experience of fitting-in with their peers and granted parents the opportunity to
gain knowledge from the top medical experts for MOPDII. Your gifts allowed us to bring Dr. Andrew Jackson of Western
General Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland to speak to our group on his latest research, which is revealing new information about
the genes involved in MOPDII and similar primordial dwarfism conditions.
Thank you for making all this possible through your
commitment to Potentials Foundation. It was our sincere privilege to put your donations to work and accomplish this momentous
event. Your generosity is having a powerful and positive effect in the lives of our families. 
Special thanks to Jeff Demicol for donating a wonderful
cake from Beckers Bakery for our families to enjoy and to Chloe for creating the cake design! 2009 NYC LPA
Conference:
Families united from across the world in New York
City for our 3rd annual conference event. It was a week filled with invaluable information, priceless family interactions,
and treasured bonds of friendship.
We were honored to have our truest experts, the teens
and young adults with MOPDII, host the week's first workshop, sharing their perspectives and answering questions. The
next day their parents led a workshop to share the wisdom of their experiences. We are so grateful for your willingness
to lead our group.
Special thanks go to Dr. Michael Bober of Nemours
A.I. duPont Hospital for Children and Dr. Stephen Doxsey of University of Massachusetts, who generously gave of their time
for our families. Dr. Bober hosted a question-answer session where families could present their concerns and receive
expert information. Dr. Doxsey led an incredible, informative workshop educating us and explaining the monumental gains
in MOPDII research achieved and the focus of our future research studies. Special thanks also go to Christina Flora
and Melanie Dixon who offer their knowledge and time to our group.
Thank you to Jeff Demicol and Make My Cake for providing
a delicious and beautiful cake for us to enjoy. What a special treat!
It is difficult to find words that express the magnitude
of this conferences impact, but we hope you see it shining through in the smiles on our faces. Thank you for making
all this possible through your generous donations.
2008 Detriot
LPA Conference:
Detroit was an incredible week. Thank you to
all our sponsors for helping to bring the Potentials Families together for a week full of wonderful experiences and invaluable
information. New friendships were made and old friendships renewed. Two research studies were launched.
We learned, shared, laughed, and connected. We treasure our time together!
Special thanks go out to Cinda Riley, Amy Bridgeman
(Mrs. San Jose International), and Devorah Flynn. Cinda, thank you for your wonderful kids and clay fund-raiser
and the generous donation from the Deerfield families of Novi, Michigan. Amy, thank you for sharing your time with us
and for your fund-raising efforts benefiting the families visiting Stanford Medical Center. Dev, thank you for
the donation of the beautiful bracelets; we will enjoy them as a special rememberance of the trip.
Thank you to our terrific workshop hosts Dr. Riedy,
Dr. MacKenzie, Dr. Bober, Linda Nicholson, Shonn Devroy, and Melanie Dixon. We appreciate the generous donation of your
time and expertise to the families of Potentials Foundation. Thank you for your commitment to expand what is currently known
about MOPDII.
Thank you to Pump It Up of St. Claire
Shores and Golden Limo transportation for a wild and fun time. We all enjoyed the opportunity to get silly and have a
special time playing together. Your staff was courteous and respectful and we appreciate your attention to detail that
contributed to a great experience.
2008
WWGF Liverpool Conference:
Our UK partner charity, Walking With Giants Foundation recently gathered 14 primordial dwarfism families for a conference in Liverpool,
England. The four-day event in October was filled with activities, education, and special treats and surprises for all.
Activities included a city tour on an amphibious vehicle, social time at an indoor play center with the Everton Tigers basketball
team, meals together, and shopping experiences courtesy of Next, John Lewis, and Build-A-Bear Workshop. Time was spent
in roundtable discussions between families and the local medical advisory board representatives. Our sincerest expressions
of thanks go out to John and Sue Connerty for organizing and hosting this event and creating a wonderful experience for all
the families involved.
2007 Seattle LPA Conference:
What
an amazing time we had at the 2007 Seattle LPA conference. Families bonded, shared experiences, exchanged medical information,
and met with the top medical experts. The ground work was laid for a new research study. It was a full week
of activies, education, information. Thank you to all our donors! Your generous support makes all this possible.
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2011 LPA National Conference: The 2011 Little People of America Conference will be held Friday, July 1 through
Friday, July 8 in Anaheim, California. Detailed information and arrangements to attend are made through LPA at
www.lpaonline.org or 1-888-LPA-2001.
2011 Liverpool WWGF Conference:  The 2011 Walking with Giants Foundation Conference will be held Monday, August 8 through Monday August 15 in Liverpool.
Arrangements to attend may be made by contacting John or Sue Connerty at convention.enquiries@walkingwithgiants.org. Financial support to attend the event will be offered from
WWGF.
2011 Skeletal Dysplasia
Summer Session at The Painted Turtle Camp: The Painted Turtle is now accepting applications for the
Skeletal Dysplasia Summer Session at The Painted Turtle to be held August 13-18, 2011. Summer Camp provides an opportunity to share good times, and peer support with other children.
Campers will enjoy boating and fishing, arts and crafts, woodshop, music, and much more!
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2009 Tee It Up For Conner:
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you
all for playing a vital role in this year’s TEE IT UP FOR CONNER & FRIENDS GOLF TOURNAMNENT! Once again, we
were blessed with good weather despite a few sprinkles and dark clouds. As a result of your participation and generosity,
$8506 was raised for Potentials Foundation, a tremendous feat considering the economic times!
A very special thank you goes to our event photographer,
Keith Phillips who did a phenomenal job and donated all of his time and services for this special event. Another special thank
you goes to Anita Gupta of Maliha Creations who created a cake masterpiece for the second year in a row. And to all
of our sponsors our most sincere gratitude…Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Advantage Handyman Services, ACAC,
Aussie Island Surf Shop, BB&T Insurance, Barb Nicholson, Basic Necessities, Battlefield Ford Jeep Charlottesville, Bernie
and Kay Emmert, Big Tattoo Wines, Boston-Cambridge Marriott, Brian and Cindy O’Connor, Craig and Rachel Scarpone, Devil’s
Backbone Brewery, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Fabulous Salon, Full Moon Salloon Band, Hansen-Mueller, Joe Lee's Blue Ridge
Grocery, Katie Emery, Keith Phillips Photography, Lynn Cummings, Maliha Creations, Many Businesses in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania,
Mike and Brenda Murphy, Mike and Jenn Falkenrath, Oil & Vinegar, Old Trail Golf Club, Pevey & Associates, Inc., Richmond
International Raceways, Rob and Hayes Willett, Ruthie's Rembrandts, Signature Medical Spa, Shirley Cloutman-Paul, St. Gabriel
Organics, Stephanie Emmert & Royce Rowe, The Barnes Family, The Coventry Group, The Gueriguian Family, The Moore Family,
The Murphy Family, The Petrokonis Family, The Pevey Family, The Reuter Family, The Ski Barn, The Weddingfeld Family, Tom and
Pam Harvey, University of Virginia Baseball Team, Washington Woodworks, and Wintergreen Resort.
2008 Tee It Up For Conner:
The Inaugural “Tee It Up For Conner” Golf
Tournament was a huge success. Lots of fun was had by all! What a gorgeous day it was…combined with some
great golf and terrific friends and family…it truly was a wonderful event. Thanks to the generosity of so many
people, $8680 was raised for Potentials Foundation!! Conner kicked off the tournament with a great “tee
off”. There were over 60 golfers and over 150 people attended the reception following which included dinner and
live entertainment for both adults and children. We were thrilled to host such a successful event and hope you will
consider joining us again next fall. On behalf of the Emmert family and Potentials Foundation we thank you for your
support!
Painted
Turtle Camp:
The Painted Turtle is now accepting applications for
the Skeletal Dysplasia Summer Session at The Painted Turtle to be held August 15-20, 2010. Summer Camp provides an opportunity
to share good times, and peer support with other children. Campers will enjoy boating and fishing, arts and crafts, woodshop,
music, and much more! And doctors and nurses are available at The Painted Turtle all week to take care of any medical needs
campers might have while at camp. The Painted Turtle is located
in Lake Hughes in the Antelope Valley, 40 miles north of Los Angeles. It’s a beautiful facility with a fully equipped
medical center and temperature-controlled cabins with private baths. All meals are provided and served in the dining hall
overlooking the lake. There is no cost for campers to attend this program!
Click
HERE to access the Skeletal Dysplasia Summer Camp Application
Here is some information shared by those who attended the Summer 2007 camp:
Bob Walker
writes,
"Brad and Nick went to summer camp at the Painted Turtle and had an excellent time. The
camp was a beautiful facility north of Los Angeles at Lake Hughes. In Brad and Nick’s cabin were 8 other campers
and 4 counselors. The basketball gym was donated by the Lakers and the pool which was shaped like Shamu was donated
by Sea World. The cabins were even air conditioned! Nick has done other camps before and seemed to really enjoy
this one. The opportunity to hang out with Brad is what made it special. The boys got to canoe, play basketball
and do crafts. Nick especially liked the basketball gym even if it did have the ‘Lakers’ written on it;
Nick is a Nuggets fan. The food was good and Nick liked the fact that they could shower when ever they wanted.
He said it was hot there. Nick liked the other campers and made some new friends. From
a parent’s standpoint the counselors were clean cut, extraordinarily nice young people. The staff to camper ratio
was low so everything was very well run. Everyone was friendly and seemed to enjoy the opportunity to be there.
Christy and I went to Santa Barbara and enjoyed some relaxing adult time. Christy caught up on her reading
and I learned to surf. I know all of us enjoyed the trip and the boys are planning to go again next year."
Returning camper Brad says,
"Camp was fun!
I liked all of it. Spending the week with Nick was best. The counselors were alot of fun too. I brought home phone
numbers and addresses of new friends. I can't wait till next year."
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