Tag Archives: TSC Awareness Month

Episode 24: Achieving Universal Health Coverage and Driving Innovative Research Through Global Collaboration



It’s the two-year anniversary of TSC Now and we’re celebrating with a new name, the TSC Alliance! If you missed our announcement on May 16, the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance has changed our name to the TSC Alliance to reflect how the organization has evolved over the years and with the name change we also have a new logo, new branding and a new tagline, “Hope no matter how complex.” Learn more about this evolution.

In recognition of #TSCGlobalDay and TSC Awareness Month, host Dan Klein learns about two global collaborative projects aimed at improving the lives of those living with rare diseases around the world. First, he talks to Matt Bolz-Johnson (02:44), Programme Director of the Collaborative Global Network for Rare Diseases at Rare Diseases International (RDI), who is leading a partnership with the World Health Organization to develop the first Collaborative Global Network for Rare Diseases. RDI envisions a world where people living with a rare disease, no matter where they live, can reach a network of expertise for accurate and timely diagnosis and appropriate care and believe that to strengthen health systems to address the needs of the 300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease requires common strategies and action at the national, regional and global level. The TSC Alliance and the TSC Alliance of India have partnered with RDI to help advance this project and Dan and Matt discuss how advocacy organizations play a vital role in the global network model.

Then, Dan catches up with Professor Petrus de Vries, MBChB, FRCPsych, PhD, Sue Struengmann Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and Professor Anna Jansen, MD, PhD, Pediatric Neurologist at Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium (18:12). Petrus and Anna are Principal and Co-Principal Investigators of the TANDem Project, an international effort to improve the lives of families dealing with TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders (TAND) through the development of technology empowering families to self-administer the TAND checklist and access tools to address specific TAND manifestations. They provide an update on the project, what they’ve learned through the first year and a half working with the various clusters, and what the timeline and aims are for the future.

Thank you to everyone who has listened and supported TSC Now over the last two years, we will continue to work hard to provide entertaining and valuable content for families and individuals affected by tuberous sclerosis complex.

Resources and Links


Episode 13: TSC Global Awareness Month in the Age of COVID-19



In episode 13 of TSC Now, host Dan Klein celebrates TSC Awareness Month and one full year of podcasting by once again reaching out to some of the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance’s international partners with the help of Katie Smith, TS Alliance Director of Government and Global Affairs, to see how they are recognizing TSC Global Awareness Day on May 15 without being able to meet in person, and how they are supporting those with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and their loved ones during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

First, we speak to Helen Willacy (02:25), President and Co-Founder of TSC NZ in New Zealand. She discusses the unique challenges TSC families face trying to get access to medication, how the pandemic has allowed for expanded use of telemedicine, and how they are connecting with families online. We also talk about how New Zealand was able to stop the spread of the virus quickly and is now beginning to re-open.You can connect with TSC NZ at the links below.

Next, we catch up with Inna Korov and Carol Hoffman of the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance of Israel (11:48), the TS Alliance’s first global affiliate. They share how physicians have been able to share resources with families via Zoom in Hebrew and how those with TSC have connected and comforted each other through WhatsApp. You can connect with the TS Alliance at the links below.

We finish our world tour by talking to Luke Langlands (20:23), Head of Communications and Engagement at the UK Tuberous Sclerosis Association (UK TSA). He shares the tough, but necessary actions the organization has taken to ensure its long-term existence and allow them to continue to offer critical services to those affected by TSC throughout the UK. He also talks about the incredible response they’ve seen from their online events and how they are preparing for a staggered re-opening in the future. Learn more about UK TSA, the 2020 International TSC Research Conference postponement, and their Outlook meeting at the links below.

The episode concludes by highlighting Ryan and Andrea Beebe (35:28), whose Getting Saucy with Parker B Fundraiser has raised over $50,000 during the TSC Awareness Month of Caring. They share how they came up with the concept for the fundraiser, what have been some of the better reactions of those participating and why they think it has been so successful. There is still time to support their fundraiser and help them smash their goal even more, learn more at the link below.

Resources and Links
TSC NZ Website: https://www.tsc.org.nz/
TSC NZ resources on COVID-19: https://www.tsc.org.nz/post/coronavirus-and-tsc-information-for-the-tsc-community
TSC NZ on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tsc_nz
TSC NZ on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSCNZ/

DEA World Forums: COVID-19 Management & TSC co-hosted with TSC International (TSCi) and the European Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Association (E-TSC): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwj2PiZ6gik&t=5s
DEA World Forums: How the Consensus Guidelines Improve Treatment and Care for Individuals with TSC co-hosted with TSC International (TSCi) and the European Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Association (E-TSC): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NIgzW8Ucv0&t=3s

TS Alliance of Israel Website: http://tsc.org.il/
TS Alliance of Israel COVID-19 resources, including a recording of their webinar with Dr. Tal Gilboa: http://tsc.org.il/PAGE30.asp
TS Alliance of Israel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tsc.org.il/

UK TSA Website: https://tuberous-sclerosis.org/
Updated Information on the 2020 International TSC Research Conference: https://tuberous-sclerosis.org/for-professionals/2020-conference/
UK TSA COVID-19 resources: https://tuberous-sclerosis.org/news-coronavirus-tsc/
Outlook 2020 Virtual Meeting Session Recordings: https://tuberous-sclerosis.org/outlook-virtual-2020-sessions/
UK TSA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetsauk
UK TSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/UKTSA

Getting Saucy With Parker B Fundraiser: https://www.facebook.com/donate/642664029849293/10106189288438264/
Getting Saucy Interview on Delmarva Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIuMaHaVQGs&fbclid=IwAR3WFik6v24Rt0ZvKpgsdzr4drBO5mI9OJ89t-QhqMdObdibFUXjS4WnqHg

TSC Awareness Month of Caring Website: https://give.tsalliance.org/campaign/tsc-global-awareness-day-of-caring/c281515

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