The Angelman Walk 5/21/2011

Well, the end of the world didn't happen thankfully, and its a good thing I didn't buy a Maserati and drive it until 6 p.m just in case. I don't think you can return one of their sportscars after three days, like so many dealers offer for customers. Instead of awaiting for the eminent doom of Earth in my bunker full of twinkies and cheap beer, I was in the beautiful town of Columbia, MD this morning, with hundreds of great people supporting the Angelman Syndrome Foundation. (http://www.angelman.org/) The ASF, supports awareness, research for a cure, and ways to battle seizures associated with this condition, which affects roughly 1 in 15,000 births. Last years event took an emotional toll, as in 2009 my son Tommy passed away from a seizure, but this year there were plenty of laughs, including a perfect ending involving a robin.

In case you were wondering why there's a picture of that bird here, that will be explained, but first you have to get through the rest of this prose. Today's occasion was a joyful one, as while I know in my heart that Tommy is in Heaven with a loving God, I saw plenty of "angels" that provided so many hugs and loads of love. I still have a goofy grin on my mug from today, as Angelman families have been a strong foundation through so much, and we really do come together at these events and elsewhere. There were acts of compassion, and while the event coordinator didn't do "the Dougie dance," perhaps next year there will be a way to make that happen. You know who you are, and just like John Wall of the Washington Wizards, you are able to do these moves but just don't want to admit it.

The weather cooperated, and seeing so many Angelman families and loved ones complete the walk, was inspiring and it appears that more people are involved every year. In addition to Columbia, MD, which is not to be confused with Medellin, there are walk locations all over the United States. This years purple shirts are cool as that is the color of epilepsy awareness, although my initial reaction was "I'm going to be the bald headed version of Barney the dinosaur." All kidding aside, the color was fine, and I will proudly don my new shirt and wear it with pride. Families spent time with each other, and there was delicious Italian ice donated from a kind sponsor, along with a dance and karaoke event.

After the event was over, a young lady approached me, and said that there were baby birds being born. Sure enough, a robin's three hatchlings were cracking through their blue eggs, and their mom was bringing them a delicious entree of worms. It was the perfect ending of a day, to see these just born chicks opening their mouths, anticipating a good meal from their mother. This reminded me of the love that so many Angel parents have for their boys and girls, along with how the Angelman Syndrome Foundation is making a leap from the nest, to find a cure for this condition. God willing this shall be the case, as while it makes sense to look before jumping, I have full confidence that this organization is getting ready to spread its wings even further.