This Thursday we head to the 9th Annual USH connections conference in Chicago.  It will be the largest Usher Syndrome related event we have been to.  Along with 200+ other people, both families and individuals affected in some way by Usher Syndrome.

We will be travelling with mixed emotions, on one hand we are excited to meet the many people that we both read and hear about in the Usher community but on the other hand a bit sad for the obvious reason why we are attending this event.

We are sure to see all stages of the disease at the event.  We will meet people who are both deaf and blind and talk with them and their families about some of the challenges that they face.  There will be leading experts in the field of retinal degenerative diseases who we are looking forward to meeting and we will learn about the latest advances in treatments.

Some of the barriers that Rebecca will face will be evident at the event and we are hoping we learn ways in which we as a family can transcend them.