Connective Issues Spring 2022

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IS IN PERSON AGAIN!

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We are excited to announce that, after three years, we are hosting the E 3 Conference: Educating, Empowering, and Enriching Our Community, in person in Southern California! Make plans to reunite with the community at the beautiful, new VEA in Newport Beach, a Marriott Resort & Spa, July 7-10, 2022. This year’s event is held in association with Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. “We are looking forward to being together again this summer,” said Michael Weamer, President & CEO, of The Marfan Foundation. “We are grateful to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian for their incredible support and for making it possible to hold E 3 in beautiful Newport Beach. The Hoag Clinic for Marfan Syndrome & Related Conditions is a leader in treating those in our community, and we could not have a better partner. Attendees can expect to learn directly from medical experts at Hoag, as well as from our Professional Advisory Board of experts on Marfan, LDS, and VEDS. And the opportunity to again connect in person with community is truly priceless.” Whether this is your first conference or if you are a returning attendee, you can expect unmatched educational opportunities and Q&A sessions with medical experts, as well as sessions focused on Marfan, Loeys-Dietz, VEDS, and Stickler. There are also special, age-based programs for teens and children (ages 5-18). Experience many opportunities during the conference to reconnect with friends and forge new, lasting bonds through condition-specific meetings, social events, and fun activities. In 2018, if you would have told me that I was about to step into a community that would change my life forever, I probably would have laughed at you. Prior, there was absolutely nothing I thought an organization like The Marfan Foundation could ever o ff er me in terms of my overall well-being. I was wrong. Four years, two family diagnoses, multiple connections, and a plethora of new resources later, I can't imagine where I would be right now had I not made it to Santa Clara for the annual conference. I can’t wait to see everyone again in Newport Beach. – Mike Scribner, Chandler, AZ

p Conference is a great time to make new friends and connect with old friends in the Marfan, LDS, and VEDS community.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Make sure to register by May 31 to receive the discounted registration fee. As always, children and teens are free with a registered adult. Book your room by June 13 to receive the discounted group rate. Be sure to book early before the room block is full! NEW IN 2022 • Condition-specific tracks & mixers for Marfan, Loeys Dietz, VEDS, and Stickler • A safe, chaperoned trip to Disneyland for kids and teens • New workshop topics, with a special focus on mental health and quality of life All conference details including registration, agenda, speakers, health fair, and special events can be found online at Marfan.org/E3Conference .

p Mike (center) with his conference friends.

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Spring 2022