I was asked to speak about hope at the PPMD conference earlier this year in Scottsdale Arizona. I had known my assigned topic months prior, but I sat with it - not sure what I wanted to say.

Hope can be tricky.

I wrestled with the topic, not because I struggled to find hope personally, but because I didn't want to trivialize the hard realities of hope.

The more I meditated on hope, the more I realized hope in the future is a seductive mirage. Hope in the future is a mirage because the future is forever out of reach. The only thing you and I will ever truly have is this moment.

I hope this helps anyone who hurts.

Chris was asked to share two presentations at a conference aimed at mental health and wellness. The first address was about “how to build resilience into our lives”, and the second topic, “where do we go when life changes?” In the conference’s final keynote, Shris shared his concept of points of light and how, when we do the deep work of reflection, we can find gratitude for the past, peace in the present, and courage to face an unknown future.

Chris was asked to speak at Myraid Genetics about the impact their work has on patients and their caregivers.

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I’ve spent the last few years developing Mitchell’s Journey hope kits with the goal of helping those who struggle. Today I received the first part in an assembly line of inspiration and tools. In about 4-5 weeks we’ll begin shipping these to DMD families - and with the support of more donors, I’d like to send these kits to anyone who is looking for a little light during dark times. This is just the beginning of a much bigger effort to help people make sense of struggle, find glimmers of hope, and observe their lives (however dark things may seem at the moment) surrounded in points of light. I’ll post more as the other parts of this kit arrive.
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Special thanks to @ptctherapeutics for giving our foundation a grant to help this project launch and serve the DMD community. We’re also grateful for @agcutah for a donation to support this project’s mission to serve the greater good. #mitchellsjourney