10 years ago, Donna Driscoll was going about her life quite happily–she taught, was an avid tennis player, and started making plans for the future.
The Connection Newspaper reports how this all suddenly changed.
Donna began having symptoms of dystonia, a neurological syndrome that affects movement. Instead of surrendering to the disorder, she and her husband, Tom, organized a golf and tennis tournament to raise funds for research. Last year, the event raised $25,000 for the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF), as reported in the Connection Newspaper. This year, the 6th Annual Dystonia Golf and Tennis Classic was held on September 24th at Bretton Woods Country Club in Potomac, Virginia.
Dr. Mark Hallett, who is a senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health was presented with the Humanitarian Award. His groundbreaking research provided insight into effective therapies for dystonia patients, and was the first doctor to treat Donna after her diagnosis.
Donna and Tom are particularly interested in helping returning veterans because it has been determined that traumatic brain injuries are often one the first symptoms of dystonia, and many US service men and women have returned from the Middle East with such injuries. They encourage people to sponsor wounded warriors for the tournament. “Golf is healing to our servicemen and women,” said Donna.
Part of this year’s proceeds are going toward supporting a child with dystonia and his or her family to Children’s Advocacy Day in Chicago, sponsored by the DMRF.
Head on over to the Connection Newspapers for the full scoop.
