Caitlyns cruisin' through OT school!

Facing Death Full of Life | TEDxBerkshires Danielle Valenti gives a heart wrenching discussion on the impact that Huntington’s disease has on the children and family of those affected. We often examine the lives of those who currently suffer with the disease, but not enough are we listening to the other half of the story. Danielle discovered that her mother had Huntington’s disease at the age of 25, after years of secrecy. She had to take on the impossible task of being her mother’s caregiver during the last years of her life. It was eventually too much to bare and she had no choice but to place her in a Huntington’s end of life home and had to watch as her mother chose to end her life by refusing to eat. This journey was extremely painful for Danielle, but it was unfortunately just getting started. She later discovered that an affair her grandmother had would be the reason that she would become the next generation of Huntington’s. I chose this story because I wa...

Sitting Pretty Lolo The journey of Lolo Spencer peaked my interest because of the non-traditional characteristics of Lolo's ALS. This is a story about a debilitating disease that usually takes the lives of those diagnosed after 2-5 years, yet 18 years later and Lolo is still telling her story through inspirational YouTube videos that have touched the lives of many. Lolo was diagnosed at the very young age of 14 when she started feeling extremely fatigued, which is unusual for any healthy person, let alone a child. She discusses in an interview with CNN that it was a devastating diagnosis that flipped her world upside, but she decided pretty quickly that she would live her life to the fullest, and that ALS would not be her story. Lolo is now 30 years old and must get around in a power wheelchair due to extreme weakness throughout her body. What I enjoyed most about learning of Lolo was how inspirational she has become to the disabled community. She represents her co...

Kim Gorgens | TEDxDU 2010 Protecting the brain against concussion Concussions are very prevalent in our society especially for the adolescent population, yet there is a lack of communication on how to detect and treat them. I chose to watch this ted talk by Kim Gorgens because as a mother and a neuropsychologist she shares an interesting view on the subject. The first thing she discusses is the importance of studying up on concussions and traumatic brain injuries to understand and look for signs and symptoms. Kim has created a website called, cokidswithbraininjury.com that shares information for athletes, coaches, and parents on how a concussion occurs and what to do next. The ted talk also encourages the audience to speak up. Ask questions such as what the budget for protective equipment is, and how old is it.   It is important to not settle with unsafe equipment as the future of our adolescents are at stake. Kim also argues that the only way to prevent ...