Bring As Many As You Can

by Debbie Browne

How would you respond to these words, “I’m sorry, but we did all we could.” Preparing a response is impossible because any acknowledgment of those words would become an admission that “all hope is gone”. Nothing left to do or say, for it is finished. So were the words Debbie heard from her daughter’s Cardiothoracic Surgeon on February 29, 2008, in a private hospital waiting room with friends and family. Yet even on a night when her heart stopped, she heard these words, “But, have I done all I can do?” Thus, the search began to learn more about whether this tragedy could have been prevented. The black-and-white world of grieving the death of a child led to taking risks needed to reach out to others through social media to solve her mystery. She never expected to find a very colorful world outside her door of approximately 80,000 girls and women with Turner syndrome. Uncommon? Not at all. Current statistics indicate the condition touches many more lives than once reported. Debbie soon felt right at home with her newfound Turner syndrome community as she easily became an advocate to provide public awareness and gain worldwide attention. Awareness has the power to change and save lives. Learn how you can change the lives of those with this genetic condition around the globe. Are you living your life without regrets? 

Loving a Leaping Butterfly

by Debbie Browne

Could you identify a chromosomal condition that touches one in every 2,000 female births globally? Turner syndrome was a mystery until the condition was first described by Dr. Henry Turner in 1938. This true story, written from the heart of a mother, will take you on a journey when touched personally in 1984 when receiving word her daughter was one of the 2,000. Little was known about the condition leaving this family ill-equipped to know what actions to take or how to educate medical professionals with the long-term attention desperately needed. Ignoring the condition did not make it go away. Their strong faith enabled them to walk through the ups and downs of uncertain times. Yet the question still remains today – are we any closer to eliminating ignorance?