The third annual Wellstone Center Muscular Dystrophy Parent/Patient Conference presented by The Wellstone Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital will be held Saturday, April 12, 2014, at Nationwide Children’s Education Center, 575 S. 18th Street, Columbus, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The conference is designed to educate patients with muscular dystrophy and their families and caregivers about advances in research and future therapies/treatments, as well as independent, healthy living. Conference topics include exon skipping and gene therapy; genetic modifiers of disease severity in Duchene muscular dystrophy; maximizing independence; dietary needs; school advocacy; recreation; adaptive equipment; succeeding in college; driving; bone health; cardiac care; service dogs; and Wellstone tours. The conference features break-out sessions geared to patients under seven years of age; seven to 12; and teens over 12.
The Wellstone Center is a Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center (MDCRC) and is part of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital. MDCRC's were established by the MD-Care Act and are overseen by The National Institutes of Health. These centers are part of university and hospital research institutions across the country and strengthen the muscular dystrophy community by conducting basic, translational and clinical research. This program at Nationwide Children's is committed to finding a treatment for muscular dystrophy. Child care is available for toilet-trained children ages three through six years of age and parking is available at no charge.
Register online for the conference at NationwideChildrens.org/edu. For additional information call 614-355-0662 or email communityeducation@nationwidechildrens.org.