AXYS is thrilled to announce that Justin Dausch has joined our board. Justin served as a volunteer for AXYS in the area of finance in 2019. An attorney licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Justin can be called upon to guide AXYS on legal matters. His main role on the board will use his expertise on finance and compliance. “I looking forward to utilizing my professional experience to give back to the community,” said Justin.
Article Title: Learning about thing larger than you
Author: Pam Auchmutey (Emory University, Nursing Magazine)
Date of Publication: Fall 2019
“As a School of Nursing doctoral student, Amy Blumling provides much-needed care to a special patient population at Emory Healthcare. Twice monthly, she and other providers see patients at the eXtraordinarY Clinic, the Southeast’s only clinic for children with sex chromosome disorders.”
We would like to congratulate the eXtraordinarY Kids Clinic of Children’s Hospital Colorado on the release of their 1st research newsletter and are proud to share it with you:
When I got the in utero diagnosis of my son’s XXY in 1995, I had feelings of despair, confusion, frustration, and sadness. My husband and I went to the public library in Manhattan to explore KS information, per the geneticist’s recommendation. We were traumatized by the photographs and misinformation.
Dr. Adler, my OB/GYN was very consoling and empathetic. He gave me Melissa Aylstock’s information and told me she was fighting for her son and other KS kids through KS & Associates, the organization she founded.
Melissa was sweet, kind, concerned and very responsive to my plea for help! Back then it was ‘long distance’ phone calls to California from NJ. We were on the phone for hours. Melissa sent me an overnight package with photographs of her son, whom she had self-diagnosed, along with photos of other KS guys. They looked NOTHING even close to the pictures we had seen at the library. In fact, they were handsome guys with no physical signs of anything unusual.
I had the good fortune of meeting Melissa and her son at the 1995 KS&A conference. A couple dozen people attended that event. I witnessed the growth of AXYS, (KS&A was renamed AXYS in 2014) when I attended the 2019 conference with nearly 400 participants: medical professionals, parents, and individuals with X and Y variations, who traveled from all over the US, South America and even Europe to attend. Attending the conference was not only nostalgic for me as I reflected back on 1995, but also a sign of hope that awareness, support and education are on the rise.
I raised my son alone, well, along with a few good nannies and sitters. My son is a smart, handsome, caring, kind, person with drive and passion. As my son struggles with KS related neurocognitive issues, I continue to look for answers while guiding him along the way to independence.
My involvement with AXYS is driven by not only my need to help others, but a moral obligation to do like Melissa did: sincerely give back to others, to give hope to parents not sure of the outcome, listen and empathize with families, provide references or referrals when needed and most of all, to help spread awareness, support and education about X and Y variations.
Tina Hanif
Leader of the Florida Support Group
Due to speech and language delays my son started in special education preschool. When my son entered kindergarten, his teacher saw similarities between Kent and another boy who was diagnosed with XXXXY. We took her advice and got genetic testing for our son.
We learned back in 1994 that our son did not just have one extra X as we suspected but has an extra X and an extra Y; he has XXYY.
Our doctors suggested we not read the older literature that painted a horrid picture for our son but instead told us to contact KS&A and join the support group. As it turned out, Melissa Alystock lived less than a mile from us. Our kids attended the same schools.
Melissa Alystock started holding conferences to gather people with X and Y variations together. She sought and received grants from pharmaceutical companies to support these events. In addition, she gained the professional support and services of health care professionals who met with families at these events. It was life changing for many to meet with a doctor, genetic counselor or other professional that was knowledgeable about X and Y conditions.
Melissa and her husband needed help managing this fast growing organization so she asked me to join the board and then I served as a moderator for the listserv. I saw the challenges trying to meet the needs of grown men with X and Y variations as well as simultaneously meeting the needs of parents of younger children without overwhelming them. There is only so much many of us can process at once, so some families step back from support groups but then later rejoin either when they need assistance or when they are in a position to offer it.
I financially support AXYS (The XXYY Project) and encourage my family to do so also. This assures there is help, information and research for all when it is needed.
My favorite part of serving AXYS as your Executive Director is getting to know our community. In mid August I was in Michigan visiting my family and had the pleasure to meet 7 families in our community.
Jennifer, a Mom of a 2-year-old with XXXY and I were hosted by Elisha, a mom of a 2-year-old with Trisomy X. Elisha lives in the city where I grew up. Both Moms shared the wish that the support groups shared more triumphs and positive stories as well as answering questions when problems arose. With a toddler, you have so much ahead of you, so the hope the positive stories offer are greatly needed. So everyone reading this, please keep sharing positive photos and stories in our support groups.
That evening, I had dinner with Jaime and Jeff and their daughter. They are the parents of a teen with XXY, who would have come with his family but had a much more fun offer from his friends. Jaime has attended a few conferences, including our the 2019 AXYS Family Conference in Atlanta. She shared her thoughts on the conference, including the desire for more teen activities and more sibling activities.
The following evening I met with Kathy, who also attended the conference. Our conversation focused on her adult son with XXY, and the work it takes to get SSI. I shared the relevant videos from our YouTube Channel. Kathy gave me candy from Bay City’s most famous candy store St. Laurent Brothers, where Madonna stops to get candy when she is in the area.
On Friday, Wendy and her son John, a 30-year-old with XXY, drove 75 miles to meet me, and Dan and Sonya who have a son with XXY. Wendy offered to share brochures with doctors in Grand Rapids. Thank you Wendy!!
I met Nancy who has a 30-year-old son with XXYY and Brandy and her son 15-year-old XXY son at Ray’s Ice Cream. I used to go there as a child and I had a Boston Cooler, a drink only those from the Detroit area will know.
Kevin and Joy—thanks for reaching out and I hope we can connect the next time I get to Michigan.
Cami—I hope we can meet the next time I’m in Bay City.
When KS&A was formed in 1989 by an Ann Landers letter that Melissa Aylstock had written, the organization took off from there. Melissa was very welcoming to new families, and to men newly diagnosed with KS. She ran the organization practically by herself. While her husband assisted, she was the webmaster and handled listserv duties when that started in 1997.
I first met Melissa and her husband Roger at my first national conference in Bellevue, Washington in July 1996. Though I was a much different person back then, I finally met other men like me and also got a taste of how to start and run a support group. I brought that information back with me to Boston — where I had recently moved — and Melissa assisted me with getting the Boston area/New England based support group going. Melissa stayed with me in my Boston area apartment when she and I attended a genetics conference in the Boston area, where I gave a presentation. She also attended the second or third support group held in the Boston area.
So I got involved immediately just after returning from the 1996 national conference and wore a lot of hats and did a lot of work for her and the organization. I presented two sessions at the 1997 conference, as well as at the 1998 conference. I co-chaired the national conference in Baltimore in 1999 and planned a good conference with added bonuses as we were celebrating the 10th anniversary of the organization.
I was recruited back to KS&A as a pediatric lead (don’t remember the exact title) and I gave my all in that role for about 3 or 4 years. I handled other roles during that time, but kept true to myself with my personal KS website and supported anyone who needed my assistance throughout the world.
Between the early part of 1997 and the end of 1999, I was putting in about 40 hours per week of volunteer work, while working 40 hours of my full-time job. Because of my volunteer work, I considered getting my master’s in genetic counseling and even started a program in late 1997 taking classes to see if it was a good option for my future.
-Stefan
The MassGeneral Hospital Klinefelter Syndrome Clinic is the most recent addition to the ACRC (AXYS Clinic and Research Consortium). They offer care throughout the lifespan, from caring for those with a prenatal KS diagnosis to adults of all ages. While the clinic is named for KS, they specialize in all male X and Y chromosome variations, including 47,XYY, 48,XXYY, and 48,XXXY. Individuals with 47,XXX can also receive care at MGH through a separate team within the Medical Genetics department.
This clinic was created in part due to the efforts of the NEXXYS Support Group. Several members of this group saw the need for a clinic in New England and worked with MassGeneral Hospital to establish the clinic.“Our multidisciplinary clinic was inspired by patient feedback, and it is our hope that those with Klinefelter syndrome and other sex chromosome variations can consider our clinic a “medical home,” says Emma Snyder, the Clinic Coordinator. “I am the first point of contact for new patients and an ongoing resource to patients with further questions about our services.”
Led by co-directors Frances A. High, MD PhD, specializing in Medical Genetics and Frances J. Hayes, MBBCh BAO, who specializes in Reproductive Endocrinology, the MassGeneral Clinic takes a multidisciplinary approach to providing coordinated care. They offer a comprehensive evaluation and work with your primary care providers to identify specialty needs, coordinate care, and improve outcomes.
The clinic offers a multidisciplinary team of medical, surgical, and neuropsychological specialists, and can refer to many other subspecialties at MassGeneral as needed. “We want to grow the ease of transition from pediatric to adult care,” says Emma. “As you reach your 20s, you often lose access to services in the education system but may continue to need support, including mental healthcare.” This clinic was designed to meet these needs.
New to the team is genetic counselor, Ashley Wong, MS. In her role in the KS clinic, Ashley focuses on the psychosocial counseling aspect of genetic counseling. She is a resource for patients and their families as they navigate various aspects of a KS diagnosis, particularly the neurodevelopmental components.
To learn more about the clinic or make an appointment, call Emma at 617-726-5521 or send her an email at esnyder2@mgh.harvard.edu. For MGH Trisomy X care, call Medical Genetics at 617-726-1561.
We promised that our 2019 AXYS Family Conference would be the best one yet and we achieved that goal. Nearly 400 participants from as far away as Brazil and The Netherlands gained knowledge and understanding in Atlanta. You could feel the strong sense of community and watch friendships blossom. Here are some comments from those who attended in their own words:
“The people my daughter and I met were amazing.”
“A real sense of community was present at this conference.”
“The camaraderie with other parents was invaluable. Seeing our son mingle with the other guys so comfortably. The bowling, pool, and billiards were a hit!”
“This conference has changed our lives, and in return our son’s…AXYS is a family I am proud to have, my admiration of the doctors is off the charts!!!”
“I had a WONDERFUL experience at the conference. I learned so much, and my cup is full of knowledge that I am excited to share. I’m already looking forward to the next conference. Thank you to all the people in the background who got things together. I know it’s a job. Thank you so much.”
From an exhibitor: “I wanted to thank you for producing a flawless event where researchers and clinicians could share our findings with the families and other professionals. The event felt very well organized and we felt very well taken care of in terms of food and drink, along with comfortable places to talk with families and among ourselves. Both formal and impromptu discussions about our research with families who have participated in the past, are about to participate in the near future, or are now considering participating thanks to these opportunities, were truly the highlight of the conference.”
AXYS offered live webcasting for the first time. From as far away as Cyprus, 35 families were able to participate from their homes, watching sessions as they happened and submitting questions for the speakers. These sessions were recorded and are available on our YouTube channel.
To share knowledge with those who could not join us and to serve as a review for those in attendance the slide decks and the posters are available on our website. We also have slide decks and recordings from past conferences that remain relevant and offer practical knowledge. Visit /about/conference-mtrls/.
Everyone at AXYS offers deep gratitude to all who learned from our amazing speakers, enjoyed bowling in Wisteria Lanes, gained new friends, participated in group and family portraits, met researchers, and joined support groups. Over 90% reported the conference met or exceeded their expectations and over 80% said they learned what they were hoping to learn.
Numerous aspects of this event were taken from the suggestions offered after the 2017 conference including: lunch choices, conference t-shirts, having a place for teens and adults to hang out and play cards or board games, having a session with awareness advocates, special ‘retreat’ sessions for parents of infants and toddlers and another retreat on transitioning to adulthood. Most session topics came from our community including: special education, testosterone replacement, fertility, siblings and mental health. Our thanks to all who offered more great suggestions that we will use to plan the next conference.
More from attendees in their own words:
“My son is not alone… I am not alone and most of all, it was NOT MY FAULT! I have felt so guilty about my son being diagnosed with xxy and always thought I had done something to cause this!”
“I had a chance to speak with families/caretakers of other XXYY guys and realized that so many of them are going through the same things that our family is going through. It’s nice to know that you are not alone.”
“I got so much out of the interaction with other KS men and their family members. I shared a lot with them and learned a lot from them”
“Networking was huge. Also great for my young adult son to meet others and meet some great role models.”
“The most valuable part of the conference for me was meeting and interacting with the other Trisomy X families, especially the teens. I loved them all.”
“Our first conference… day one…what we have learned and the amazing people we have met…there are just no words to express the love and respect 😊…in just one day, we have gained more information, and had things explained to us by the EXPERTS in AXYS that our doctors couldn’t in 11 years!!…And on top of the brilliant minds….each and every Doctor and the entire AXYS family was more caring than the next!!!!!…the information we received today will take us days to digest …lol ….we have learned things today….that our own doctors are misinformed about!!!…This conference will make a difference not just in my sons life ….but in every one of his doctors lives from this day forward ….THANK YOU”
“Not enough words to describe the feeling of satisfaction, friendships formed, knowledge gained, great speakers, good food, amazing Emory Conference Center, and so much more… Thank you Gary Glissman, Carol Meerschaert, and everyone from AXYS and elsewhere who worked so hard to make this Conference such a success! Grateful, hopeful, optimistic and ready to fight harder through this journey. Stronger together as we move forward to break barriers for X and Y Variations!”
(Photos by Stuart Hasson Studios)