A letter from my Granddaughter to my daughter about my great-granddaughter
From: Alycia Sent: May 24, 2013 7:52 PM To: Linda Subject: My letter to TLC To whom it may concern: Did you know that Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, stereotyped, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. In no way is Tourette's syndrome contagious! Studies suggest that TS is a genetic disorder, which means it's the result of a change in genes that is either inherited or happens during development in the womb. I did not catch the show that aired on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 titled "The Town that caught Tourette's", however, I am fully aware of the story as it unfolded. I could not be more appalled by the title! Tourette's syndrome is NOT contagious but ignorance is. The title of this documentary is insulting to the TS community. Are you aware that you aired this fallacious title during Tourette's Syndrome awareness month? We work hard to rectify the false portrayal of Tourette's in the media. My 9year-old and other TS children around the world struggle for acceptance EVERY DAY because some people are uneducated or wrongly educated, as is the case here! It is my job to bring awareness and now I feel like I need to make you aware that although I LOVE TLC, I am shocked that you would not have done a little research before naming your documentary, especially considering none of these girls appear to actually have Tourette's Syndrome! I'm sick over this and heartbroken as a parent of a child that lives every day with Tourette's Syndrome and as a friend to those in the TS community that I have grown to know and love. TLC stands for The Learning Channel, I was under the impression that shows aired on this channel were educational and that I could trust that the research has been done. I can see otherwise simply by reading the documentary description shown on your website. "The Town That Caught Tourette's In 2011, a small town in Upstate New York caught the news media’s attention when a group of girls who all went to the same high school began individually showing signs of the convulsion disorder known as Tourette’s syndrome. As test after test and diagnosis after diagnosis failed to cure the girls of their ticks, the story became a national phenomenon." If the editor had done some simple Google searching they would have known that TS is not contagious and that these girls had tics, not ticks. A tic is a rapid, repetitive involuntary contraction of a group of muscles, causing bodily movements, or vocal sounds. A tick is a small, blood-sucking mite. And finally these girls showed "Tourette like symptoms", which does not mean that they actually had Tourette's Syndrome and thus the title had nothing to do with the documentary and in my opinion brought false awareness to this already misunderstood disorder. Tourette's Syndrome Awareness month runs from May 15 - June 15. TLC should consider finding a way to do some real Tourette's Syndrome Awareness. Tourette's Syndrome symptoms usually begin when a child is 5 to 10 years of age. With the increase in bullying going on in our country, the ramifications of what is insinuated in the title of this documentary could become deadly. The rate of suicide in children has increased drastically over the years due to the increase in bullying and the lack of tolerance around us. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University. Did your writers consider the impact this title would have on the students that truly do live with Tourette's every day? To the student in Leroy that really does have TS? It would be great if Tourette's Syndrome Awareness would become the national phenomenon! There is no cure for Tourette's Syndrome at this time, so if we don't bring awareness, this will be an endless battle. Thank you for your time! Alycia M. Young When replying to this message, plz cc: [email protected] to assure prompt reply. TEA Party Nation Top Ten Tips For Getting The Most From Your TPN Membership! http://www.teapartynation.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it any more. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_qgVn-Op7Q Mrs. Richard "Peggy" Martin (1935 - 2012) http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dfw/obituary.aspx?n=margaret-irene-martin-peggy&pid=159081400&fhid=12241#fbLoggedOut http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/dfw/guestbook.aspx?n=margaret-martin&pid=159081400&sort=1 <> <> <> -- -- To join RichsRants, send email to: [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/richsrants?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RichsRants" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
