August 2010

Dear TSA Friends,

BIG PROBLEM: SMALL KIDS AND TOURETTE SYNDROME

Let us think back for a moment to the vast success of our Emmy-winning documentary, “I Have Tourette’s, But Tourette’s Doesn’t Have Me.” It reaped many an award, and brought unprecedented attention to a little-understood disorder. But in the sweeping tributes showered on this production – and the discussion it generated – little attention was paid to a significant section of the TS population. We are referring to very young children – say between five and nine years who are generally uninformed about TS and the people who have it. They number into many thousands.

They see without comprehending, individuals with strange symptoms, perhaps students at school or passengers in buses. They are painfully aware that their own tics wax and wane, vary by time of day, by situations they must face, audiences they must encounter. They are judged sometimes with hostility by varying groups and individuals. Among them may be their teachers and classmates, clerks in stores, passengers in buses exhibiting varying degrees of antagonism. The sad result is that in many cases they can find refuge only in their own homes and amid their own families.

Our task then is double-edged: to help them understand and come to terms with their own TS symptoms and develop tolerances for other youngsters with similar behavior.

What is the best media approach to reach and influence this five-to-nine age group? Studying Nielsen Survey data and other reports, we have been led to conclude that the medium most relevant to our target audience is the animated cartoon. Program after program now on the air daily confirm this decision. Therefore, in the tradition of the award winning documentary “I Have Tourette’s, But Tourette’s Doesn’t Have Me,” our need is to produce, as soon as possible, a similarly effective animated video about Tourette Syndrome and the people who have it for this young audience.

Practically speaking, this cannot be an inexpensive venture. Even after the most ruthless cost-cutting, we would have to commit a sizeable sum to bring this well thought out plan to fruition. The good news is we already have considerable funding in place to begin this critical work. We are very thankful to Diane and Darryl Mallah for their very generous lead gift, and to JP Morgan Chase for additional funds. However our frustration is that we’re still far from what’s necessary to complete it.

We must therefore call on you, as a TSA supporter, to come forward with a suitable contribution. Only your firm financial support can make this carefully structured program a welcome reality for thousands of vulnerable young children. If you watched them struggle to face their everyday problems, you would make your donation in line with the need to spread the true facts about a stubborn disorder.

You have our deep gratitude for making your gift commensurate with the need to enlighten the many thousands of children who comprise the five-to-nine year old population. The sooner we receive it, the sooner we can bring to completion this much-needed project.

Gratefully,

Judit Ungar President

Please click here to donate. Thank You.