We are excited to announce the Spring 2013 recipients of the Brad Cohen Tourette Foundation Grants. Each of these organizations coordinate programs that support the mission and vision of our Foundation. The programs will be making a difference in the lives of children with Tourette Syndrome across the United States.

Below is a list of the organizations who were awarded grants:
 

 1)      Tourette Syndrome Camp Organization (Chicago, IL)

           Tourette Syndrome Camp USA
           
           Scholarships for children attending the camp

           www.tourettecamp.com
 

2)      Joshua Center (Kansas City, MO)

          Joshua Center Camp

          Scholarships for children attending the camp

          www.joshuacenter.com

3)     Iowa Tourette Syndrome Support Group (Iowa)

         Speaker about Tourette Syndrome

         Funding to bring in speaker Lane Easley to the community

         www.itsasupportgroup.org

I’m fifteen, And I currently live in B.C, Canada. I have had TS since I was nine; originally

having a fair few vocal tics, and few facial tics. Now it is the opposite, I have many facial tics,

including eye blinks and facial scrunches, and a few vocal tics, like hissing and clicks.

Life for me is quite normal, even with TS. My TS is just my background noise to

everyday life. Sometimes it gets annoying, but other times you barely notice it. Yes, I do worry

sometimes what other people are going to think of it, but most of the time I don’t care, it is what

makes me, me. Over the years I have grown to enjoy my background noise (in most cases!) and

I’m not afraid to say that I would never take my TS, given the opportunity!

My advice for other kids would be to accept TS as quickly as you can. You can’t get rid

of it, so why not enjoy it while it lasts. And because of my TS, I have met some amazing people,

and had some amazing opportunities, so don’t let it close doors for you!

The hardest thing for me living with TS is the lack of information about it. When so many

have no idea what TS is, or worse, mock it because all they know are stereotypes about it. But I

have learned that the best way to deal with that is to just inform about what TS really is. There is

always a solution to everything!

The one thing I would let other people know about TS is that it is such a small part of

the big picture. When you think about it, and if you approach it the right way, TS only enhances

who you are. It adds another depth of character to a person, and makes them that much more

interesting. Personally, I have learned so much over the years because of my TS, and it has

become such an integral part of who I am, that I would never give up my TS!

My favorite thing to do is tell stories, whether it be through writing, a play, or a film, I love

being able to create new worlds and Idea with just a few words. As well, I love cooking, walking,

and playing with my little brother and sister! My favorite classes in school are: English, Drama,

Video, and French. I also love science fiction movies and books.

My big goal in life is to become a well-known filmmaker. I have loved watching films all

my life, and I would love to be a director who tells different, interesting stories. I also plan to be

an advocate, not just for TS, but for mental health, Canadian films, and anything worth believing

in.

Check out her documentary on TS that is available to watch on

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk905qdU1po&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Below is a list of the organizations who were awarded grants:

 1)      Tourette Syndrome Association of Texas (Houston, TX)

           Camp du Ballon Rouge

           Scholarships for children attending weekend camp

           www.tourettetexas.org

2)      Joshua Center (Kansas City, MO)

          Social Skills Groups

          Scholarships for children to attend social skills groups

          www.joshuacenter.com

3)      Tourette Syndrome Association of Illinois (Chicago, IL)

          Speaker about Tourette Syndrome

          Funding to bring in speaker Sue Conners to educate teachers and the community

           www.tsa-illinois.org

4)      New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome (Somerville, NJ)

          Family Retreat Weekend

          Scholarships for adolescents and teens to attend event

          www.njcts.org

5)      Greenfield (MA) Community Television (Greenfield, MA)

           Live Broadcast to address myths and realities of Tourette Syndrome

            Funding to help broadcast and DVD of the program for distribution

            www.gctv.org

6)      Tourette Syndrome Association of Greater New York State (Buffalo, NY)

            Educator In-Services

            Funding to help support in-services across the state

            www.tsa-gnys.org

7)      Pennsylvania Tourette Syndrome Alliance (McSherrystown, PA)

           Accept Me Project

           Fund Peer Trainings for the Accept Me Project

           www.patsainc.org

8)      Tourette Syndrome Association of Iowa (Des Moines, Iowa)

          Speaker about Tourette Syndrome

          Funding to bring in speaker Sue Conners to educate teachers and the community

          www.itsasupportgroup.org

What is your name? Keith

How old are you and where are you from? I’m 19 years old and I’m from Detroit, Michigan.

How long have you had Tourette Syndrome? About 15 years

What kinds of symptoms do you have? I grunt, look up, and jerk my head.

What is life like for you living with Tourette Syndrome? It is different. But it is also very exciting.

What advice can you give other kids who are newly diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome? The best advice I can give is to never give up and never be ashamed of living with Tourette syndrome.

What is the hardest thing about living with Tourette Syndrome? Not being accepted!

What do you think other people should know about Tourette Syndrome? That TS is not just a swearing disorder.  Pretty much anything can be a tic.

What are your strengths and what do you like to do? Putting out TS awareness and being a good friend are my strengths.  I like to write jokes and just have fun in life.

What are your goals in life? I hope to be an art teacher someday.

Other Info:  I started the High 5 for Tourette’s Facebook page. It is my hope to help create more awareness for TS.

Check it out: http://www.facebook.com/#!/high5fortourettes

In June 2011, Brad Cohen and Jimmy Wolk joined board member Lisa Palmarini in Philadelphia to produce the first foundation video (see below).  A group of marketers from Impax Marketing Group and Center City Film and Video donated their time and expertise to help produce the foundation video that is housed here on the website.   Please take the time to view The Brad Cohen Tourette Foundation video Challenging Perceptions and Embracing Differences and learn how, with your support,  Brad’s vision is becoming a reality!

[See post to watch Flash video] ]]> http://bradcohentourettefoundation.com.s96002.gridserver.com/?feed=rss2&p=1545 0 http://bradcohentourettefoundation.com.s96002.gridserver.com/?p=1535 http://bradcohentourettefoundation.com.s96002.gridserver.com/?p=1535#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:04:47 +0000 wp-tourette http://bradcohentourettefoundation.com.s96002.gridserver.com/?p=1535 We are excited to announce the September 2011 recipients of the Brad Cohen Tourette Foundation Grants. Each of these organizations coordinate programs that support the mission and vision of our Foundation. The programs will be making a difference in the lives of children with Tourette Syndrome across the United States.

1) Tourette Syndrome Camping Organization (Illinois)

Scholarships to the Children’s Program at the National Tourette Syndrome Association Conference in Washington, D.C.
Click here to learn more!
2) Tourette Syndrome Association of Greater NY State

Education In service Program

Click here to learn more!

3) Iowa Support Group

Iowa Conference
Click here to learn more!

4) Tourette Syndrome Association of Texas

Camp du Ballon Rouge

Click here to learn more!

B: What is your name?

C: Christopher

B: How old are you and where are you from?

C: I am 11 years old and I live in St. Charles, Missouri.

B: How long have you had Tourette Syndrome?

C: I was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome when I was 10, but I have had tics for a few years. 

B: What kinds of symptoms do you have?

C: Different tics come and go, but my main tics are eye blinking, nose twitching, head shaking, and throat noises.

B: What is life like for you living with Tourette Syndrome?

C: My life is pretty normal.  I have friends, I play sports, and I get good grades in school.  The only difference is that Tourette’s can make things a little harder for me sometimes.  I also have to explain TS to a lot of people, but I am getting pretty good at doing that.      

B: What advice can you give other kids who are newly diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome?

C: The best thing you can do is always be yourself.  Don’t be embarrassed about having TS, and don’t try to hide it.  It will help a lot if you talk to your friends and classmates to teach them about TS.  This will help them understand and then it becomes no big deal.  I have given two speeches about TS to my classmates.  Sometimes my friends and I can even laugh about it.  Having a good sense of humor helps me to not worry so much about my tics.

B: What is the hardest thing about living with Tourette Syndrome?

C: Whenever I am trying to concentrate, sometimes a tic will come along and distract me. 

B: What do you think other people should know about Tourette Syndrome?

C: Tourette Syndrome is not contagious and it won’t kill you.  People with TS can do anything that anyone else can do.  God makes everybody different…and my difference is Tourette Syndrome.

B: What are your strengths and what do you like to do?

C: I am a very good baseball pitcher and I really like playing baseball with my team.  I also enjoy golfing, fishing, Scouting, and riding my bike.  My favorite subject in school is science, and I play trombone in the school band. 

B: What are your goals in life?

C: In a few years, I hope to become a Youth Ambassador for the Tourette Syndrome Association because I would like to help kids learn more about TS.  I also want to be a camp counselor at the YMCA during the summer.  When I grow up I plan to become a dentist.

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“To help children who have Tourette Syndrome learn how to exist in the real world with others who don’t understand.  The Foundation supports the socialization, achievement and education of children with Tourette Syndrome via non-profit/tax-exempt organizations that focus on the needs of children with Tourette Syndrome.” 

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If your group is interested in applying for a grant to help fund a program to support kids with Tourette syndrome, feel free to fill out the Grant Application.  

If you have any questions about the Grant Application, feel free to contact us.

.

CLICK BELOW FOR GRANT APPLICATION FORM!

BRAD COHEN TOURETTE FOUNDATION GRANT APPLICATION

B: What is your name?

L: Logan

B: How old are you and where are you from?

L: I am a 16 years old boy from Topanga, California.

B: How long have you had Tourette Syndrome? 

L: I was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome when I was 4 years old.

B: What kinds of symptoms do you have?

L: Motor tics: flinging my arms to the side, blinking my eyes, kicking my right leg, dragging my foot, sucking in my throat, twisting my body, moving my neck in horizontal movement (right shoulder to the left one but in the air), and stretching my nose to the left.

Vocal tics: sniffing, coughing, throat clearing

B: What is life like for you living with Tourette Syndrome?

L: Life with Tourette Syndrome can be difficult at times.  Sometimes things are harder for me to accomplish. I am on the varsity wrestling team and others strategically use my TS against me sometimes. When I blink, they attack. Tests are also usually very difficult for me to do because when anxiety and nervousness increase so do the tics. But why should I let my TS stop me from enjoying myself and succeeding in life?

B: What advice can you give other kids who are newly diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome?

L: From this point on, Tourettes will be a part of who you are. Embrace Tourettes and try to think of Tourettes as a gift instead of a curse.  It won’t be easy but it will be worth it. Everything happens for a reason. Don’t let others make fun of you just because you are different. Be confident and accept who you are. 

B: What is the hardest thing about living with Tourette Syndrome?

L: At the moment, the constant explanation about what Tourettes Syndrome is. Every time I go somewhere, there is always at least 1 person who asks me what I am doing with my neck. It becomes very annoying very fast. When I was younger though, it was the fact that I was being bullied, rumors that I was crazy, and parents not allowing their children to play with me just because I was a little different.

B: What do you think other people should know about Tourette Syndrome?

L: That Tourettes is involuntary. No matter how much we want to control it we can’t.  Understand that tics are more annoying and painful for me than you can ever imagine.  If I could completely stop them I would.  But I can’t! It is not in my control and there is nothing I can do to completely stop it.

B: What are your strengths and what do you like to do?

L: My strengths are:

Leadership, confidence, sports, computers (Mac), interpersonal skills, self-motivated, team player, problem solving, flexibility/adaptability, communication, commitment/motivation

B: What I like to do:

L: I have discovered wrestling and I love it.  I like to bicycle about 30 miles on the weekends. I play hockey, go to my AZA/BBYO meetings and events, snow ski, create websites, help spread the word about TS, make friends, develop and play video games, sleep, play piano, laser tag, basketball, hike, swim, and hanging out with friends.

B: What are your goals in life?

L: My goal in life is to develop and run a successful business that revolves around helping others with disabilities, disorders, and addictions. I have already started a business called Definite Possibilities. Our site is http://www.DefinitePossibilities.com. It is a place where people with disabilities, disorders, and addictions can go and socialize with each other.