United Brachial Plexus Network

I'm finally home after taking the red eye last night. I feel like a complete zombie because I am so exhausted. But it is a wonderful tiredness and my head is spinning still from seeing everyone at camp.

I would like to start a thread where we all can just create a long, long list of thanks to the many people who made camp a huge success. So add in your thanks, large and small, to whoever helped make ubpn camp 2007 a memorable event for you.

THANK YOU to the UBPN Board of Directors for all their planning and execution of responsibilities at camp. Everything ran smoothly because you all worked so hard and worked together as a team. THANKS to Amy, Claudia, Courtney, John, Judy, Julia, Kath, Lisa, Rich, and especially to Karen, our Camp Coordinator.

THANK YOU to my family. My son, Josh, and daughter in law, Heather, and Heather's sister, Kaylinne, and her husband, Dan, came to camp from Akron and from Phoenix. Your sacrifice and volunteering to do the camps arts and crafts and childcare is much treasured by me and our camper families. THANK YOU to my husband, Tim, for being one of our roving photographers, and for living through all the details of planning camp with me for more than a year.

Let's continue. I'll add more as we go but I want to hear from you about what you are thankful for.

Nancy Birk
UBPN President

Nancy,
I also would like to thank everyone who helped make this camp possible. It was an amazing experience that none of us will forget. Sydney made some wonderful friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime (so did I). The OBPI round table was very helpful to her. It did her a world of good to see other kids/teenagers/adults with the same thing she has. I have to say I loved the D.C. camp, but this was much better. I'm appreciate all the "down time" we had to meet and talk to other people.

My biggest thanks though has to go to you, Nancy. I thank you for creating UBPN and having this website. 8 years ago when I was finally told that Sydney had Erb's Palsy I freaked out because like so many of us I was told she had a little nerve problem with her arm, but it would get better. When she was about 4 months old and the neuologogist said the words "Erbs Palsy" and that she might have to have a 13 hour long surgery to help her I totally lost it and had no idea where to turn. Then I found UBPN and it changed our lives. Thank you for all your hard work with camp and with UBPN and please don't ever think that you're not appreciated because believe me you are and thanks to everyone for all their time and extremely hard work they put into making camp great!!

Deanna

I am Thankful for one and all who attended, planned and worked so hard to make everyone welcome , provide timely connections to the Airport(John, Marlene,John's brother and sister-in-law, Julia and Scott Aten especially)!...Thank you every parent who allowed me to Hug,Hold and Talk to their children all I wanted,"My adopted Grandchildren". I tried to Hug every Mom there, you are doing such a fantastic Job with your children.

Thank you, Thank You, Thank You Nancy,Karen Camp Cordinator Every Member of the Board,Ryan, Husbands of everyone too, Ralph Mallozzi,Tim Birk,Scott Aten,Tom Purnell al took volumes of pictures...they were everywhere!

Scott and I are grateful for caring and loving friends and look forward to Camp 2009 in Florida.Scott cannot stop talking about you all.

Carolyn and Scott Jenkins
Carolyn J LOBPI/69


Message was edited by: Carolyn J

THANKS to Kim West who designed our Camp UBPN logo, which looked so good on both the patch and the tshirts. Kim could not make it to camp this year but was there in spirit.

Nancy

I would like to give thanks to all the board of directors who helped put camp together. I would like to thank the founders of UBPN because without great people like you; us BPI's would not have anywhere to go and learn more about our injury.

I would like to give thanks to our baggage handler...*L* Yes, Rich you know who you are. Thanks so much for helping us out.

I would also like to thank the parents of the BPI children for allowing your children to experience camp. It gives me great pleasure in helping out the children. It is a life changing experience for them and I really hope they come away with their questions answered and feeling good about themselves.

Thank you to Nancy's family for helping out with the photo's and the arts & crafts.

Amy & Josh: You two are the next generation in helping out the BPI families and it was great to see such enthusiasm within the teen group. Keep up the great work.

To all who helped out and made camp a success: A great big BPI HUG and THANK You!!

Rachel from MT

Thank you Nancy for everything, especially for checking up on me once in a while and for cheering me on at the rock wall!
Thanks to Carolyn and Scott for the drives to and from the airport, and Scott for being my #1 wheelchair helper... we managed to get it in and out of the trunk.. still not sure how!
Thanks to Karen for all your hard work and to all the BOD memebers! Camp was great!
Thanks to the moms and teens who took time to chat and get to know me, I made some new friends and finally got to meet some 'old' ones from the board.. Carolyn, Amy, Joanie, Kath, Judy.
Next time, if there is a Segway around I just may try it, I was too chicken this time! LOL... So Ryan, think about it
Thanks to Kate for brining the Myotrac and making my day! I never knew my deltoid would work that way.. it's still tired out!!!
If I am forgetting anyone, I'm sorry!
THANKS FOR A GREAT FIRST TIME CAMP EXPERIENCE!
Camp 2009 or bust!
Marieke (31, LOBPI)

I'd like to thank everyone on the BOD's for all they have done to help create the fabulous camp that we've just experienced! A special shout out to Karen, for the camp coordination as well.

Rich, thank you for helping carry our bags to our room.

Claudia, thank you for coordinating some more go-kart times, as they were greatly appreciated by all, along with all the other activities that were available.

Lisa, thank you for the sentimental poem that you offered, then handed off to another to be read. I cherish those words, as they have true meaning. I'm glad you shared those in the Cheryl Berk roundtable.

Thank you to all those who were taking snapshots left and right it seems. I got to seem some snapshots of my kids doing things that I was not present for while I was in a parent forum and they were doing another activity. I'm appreciative of that. I especially want to thank Nancy for the "backside angle shot" of me climbing the rock wall (ha, ha). Thanks Nancy.

I want to thank a little girl named Hope and one of her friends (I'm sorry, but I don't remember her name) for answering a few questions about pain for me. It was very helpful for me as a Mom to have these questions answered.

I want to thank the adults and teens at the roundtable discussion who answered all the questions that were thrown at them with honesty.

I want to thank the Petit family for arranging our transportation to and from the airport. What a load off our mind to have that taken care of, and what a kind act that they provided!

Thank you to my daughter, Amber who is an inspiration every day to me, even at the tender age of almost 5 years old. Her injury has some limitations, but never once has she questioned why this has happened to her. I wonder when that day will come, but she to this day just keeps smiling and striving to do the things she needs to do.

I'm thankful that there even is the opportunity to have a camp. I'm thankful that I have a career that allows me the time away from it to travel. I'm thankful that I'm able to bring both of my children for this experience (even though it was tough and I swore to my husband on the phone that I'll never travel this far alone with the 2 of them again!)

I'm thankful for the opportunity to have learned from the children, teens, and adults who have been injured. I'm thankful to the Moms who expressed their feelings in the Moms session. It was an eye opener to me.

This thread is a great idea, Nancy!

Tanya in NY
Amber's Mom, ROBPI, almost 5 years old

THANK YOU to Cathy Kanter, who had the vision and the courage to form UBPN, and who realized the significance that CAMP could have in the lives of families. It is because of Cathy that UBPN exists and continues to evolve into a living organization that she articulated only 8 years ago.

Nancy

I am thankful for UBPN and the opportunity to work with such a great Board of Directors. I also enjoy working with our volunteer spouses... I think we should call them recruits... LOL..

I am most thankful for my husband Ralph and all his support and encouragement and his participation in Camp.
He pick up my physical slack at Camps with pleasure.
He had a great time and enjoyed camp as much as I did.

I loved all of the families I met this year but I especially enjoy Joshua, Elyssa, Amy and David they gave me so much to smile about. They have grown up so much and are just all around great kids.

I am grateful for all my bpi adult friends and the teens who joined our meeting. I am happy we were able to answer some of the parents questions. I was also grateful for the opportunity to answer some of the questions that children have regarding our injury. They were so open and honest and spoke out about their concerns. I am so grateful we can be there for them.

I am THANKFUL because Kate P but her Myotac leads on me and found my muscles. She helped my brain to find it's path to my biceps, triceps and deltoids. It was an amazing experience and a great gift for me at Camp. I am thankful for her husband Tom who willing let his wife work with so many of us, using this new tool. After all these years I found out why I have neck pain and that all my movement comes from my trap muscles. I can't believe how high I was able to raise my arm after using this machine. I can't wait to see where we go with it.
I guess my biggest gift at Camp was Kate's help and gaining some new movements after 67 years. It's exciting to say the least.

I loved meeting Lori, Amy's Mom along with all the other Moms and I especially loved the last hug I got from a 5 year old who asked if I had a bpi arm. I showed her and then she gave me a great big sweet hug. I wish I could remember her name at this point my brain is mush... She was so sweet and her hug was just so special.

I loved playing cards with Judy and next time I will remember we are playing rummy not poker! It was a great hand... LOL.
Rachel I am so glad you and Kayla made it and we were able to talk face to face for a change.
Marieke I am glad we finally met and can't wait to see you on the Segway! It's great fun thanks to Ryan for renting and sharing it with all of us.
I wish we all lived near each other because this is such a great community of supportive people.

Thanks all for being so great

Kath robpi/adult

Thank you to my fellow BOD members, you are great! A huge Thanks to Joe, Alyssa, and Chris for helping me with the sports clinic, I couldnt have done it with out you! Also Thanks to Courtney, for helping me with the roundtable!
Thanks to Ryan for letting me experience the segway! That thing is way too cool!
Rich, you are a great baggage handeler!
Thank you to Carolyn for picking my mom and I up from the airport and driving us around all day! That was really fun!
Thank you to Scott Aten for the much apprecated ride back to the airport, you are great!
Kate, the myotrac is one of my fav things from camp, I am so thankful that you were able to share it with us!!!
I know I missed a hole bunch of people and I appologize for that, every one at camp deserves recognition this year, it was an amazing experience!!!

Lastly I would love to thank every one for their honesty! I had some really great conversations at camp and made some great friends!!! I hope to see every one again in 2009!
Hugs,
Amy 20 years old ROBPI from MM