By Jackie Mallow
Taipei, Taiwan set the stage for the 7th International PWS Conference, from May 20-23, 2010. This was a very special event as it was the first time ever an Eastern Country had hosted the conference. The country opened both their hearts and their homes to the International PWS community and welcomed us for this wonderful opportunity to network, share, and learn from experts all around the world. I personally was honored to be apart of the planning committee that organized the day and a half professional caregivers conference, where we highlighted the result of three years of hard work we have put in on the “Best Practice” Guidelines for the residential and vocational care of those with PWS. This will very soon be available in CD format for purchase through IPWSO. Marguerite and I were both overwhelmed with the pride as we represented not only PWHO, but also with a handful of our closest friends and colleagues, the United States. We all found it interesting that even though there were so many language barriers that we all spoke the same language when it came to speaking “PWS”. We laughed, we learned, and yes we even cried some tears of joy and a sense of accomplishment as we know that there are still so many countries fighting the never ending uphill battle to provide the necessary supports needed to ensure a healthy quality of life for those in our care. This is an International issue and one we are proud to be apart. We will cherish this opportunity and special memories forever as the children from Taipei warmed our hearts, their families open their doors, and we opened our minds to International learning.
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