First-Timers Connect in St. Louis

FIRST held the first of our patient meet-ups for 2023 on April 1.  Nine families gathered in St. Louis, MO to meet others and share ideas and concerns.  Eleven of the 15 participants in attendance were affected adults, many of whom had never met another affected individual.  Dr. Keith Choate from Yale University joined in via Zoom and presented an overview of ichthyosis and its genetics. He then answered questions from the group. FIRST staff member Denise Gass also joined via Zoom to talk about FIRST's IAM Rim2Rim Grand Canyon event.   The day ended with each person sharing their story and supporting the other attendees. It was a very educational and uplifting day for everyone in attendance.

Two additional meet-ups were held during 2023.

FIRST's 2023 One-Day Meetings are Sponsored by Beiersdorf