Please join us July 28th & 29th, 2006 in Durham, North Carolina, home of Duke University, as we meet to learn about current MLD research, progress towards a MLD cure, how to care for your MLD affected family member ... and most importantly to renew old and make new friendships!
See the agenda here <-- click here
Can't attend? Please consider making a scholarship donation by clicking below
OVERVIEW
You and your MLD family member are cordially invited to MLD'2006-Durham. We will be meeting Friday afternoon and all day Saturday at the Marriott Hotel near the Duke Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, just minutes from the Raleigh-Durham airport, Chapel Hill, UNC, and Duke University. We have an exciting agenda for you. A few highlights:
Three different research projects will be represented ... gene replacement therapy, stem cell transplant therapy & oligodendrocyte research, and the creation of a MLD cell line from MSC and MAPC cells. Both therapies hope to enter clinical trials within the next year!
Featured speakers include Dr. Kurtzberg, Dr. Escolar, Dr. Fogh, Dr. Orchard and Dr. Charnas.
Practical Care - an afternoon session on how to best care for your MLD affected family member
Updates from various support organizations ... Make-A Wish, Social Security, patient advocacy, social services, and more to be announced.
A special hosted Southern-style dinner at Mama Dip's in Chapel Hill Saturday evening and a casual pizza/salad gathering Friday evening.
Two nights stay in the 3-diamond Millennium Hotel with all meals included!
A care room will be provided for your MLD affected family member, if you want to use it, so that you can relax and enjoy the session knowing that your family member is well taken care of.
The MLD Family Conference is not a fund-raiser for the MLD Foundation so you are only paying for direct costs. Included in your registration is the following:
Two nights at the Millennium Hotel, a 3-diamond hotel just 1 mile from the Duke Medical center where we will be meeting. Please note that due to the closeness of the conference date, the balance of the block of rooms reserved for the conference has been released for sale by the hotel. In the event that there is no more space at the host hotel we will make rooming adjustments at another nearby hotel if possible and let you know if there is a cost differential.
Transportation to the meeting rooms and Saturday's dinner.
A hosted Friday evening pizza & salad social to get to know other family members and some of our guest speakers.
Continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday.
A hosted Southern-style dinner on Saturday night at Mama Dip's in Chapel Hill (includes transportation, no-host for alcoholic beverages)
A copy of the conference handouts and follow-up materials.
Access to the family member care room.
Snacks during our Friday and Saturday breaks.
Registration:
Registration is underway. You can register on-line or by US Mail.
Our rooms block will be held until July 2nd after which they will be released to the general public and space cannot be guaranteed.
The cost is $285 for the first person including the 2 nights hotel room, all meals and the handouts. This represents only our direct costs passed on to you.
Additional adults in the same room are $80 each and children are $30 each - includes all meals, handouts and access to the MLD Family member care room. Meals included are all breaks, Friday dinner, Saturday continental breakfast, lunch and dinner offsite.
The hotel will extend our conference room rate for check in as early as Tuesday and checkout as late as Monday (Monday night is already sold out).
We will not charge full fare for your MLD family member since they do not need the handout materials and likely are not eating full meals. Please let us know your circumstances when you register and we will charge accordingly.
You will need to provide your own air transportation to Raleigh-Durham. The airport is 15 miles away - transportation to the hotel from Raleigh Durham Airport is not included - we may get a group rate if enough of us arrive/depart at the same time.
We have some funds available for scholarship help. Please let us know if you needs some assistance to attend the conference - also - if you wish to help support the scholarship fund, your tax-deductable donation is greatly appreciated!
We have arranged a great rate at this 3-star hotel, however, if you wish to stay at a different hotel on frequent stayer points or for some other reason, please let us know. You may miss some of the casual social interaction but are welcome at all of the events, including the first night social at the host hotel.
Questions? ... Contact Dean Suhr <deansuhr@MLDfoundation.org> 800-617-8387 or 503-656-4808
This conference is being organized by the MLD Foundation. Check with your tax consultant about the deductibility of any expenses associated with this conference.
