Happy 2001 and greetings to all of The Transverse Myelitis Association membership and its supporters. With this new year, TMA is involved in many critical upcoming efforts. The registration form for the Second International Transverse Myelitis Symposium is contained in this newsletter. This conference will be hosted and sponsored by Johns Hopkins Hospital July 12-15th. Dr. Douglas Kerr, TMA Medical Advisory Board member and co-director of JH's Transverse Myelopathy Center has spearheaded efforts to pull together a topnotch gathering of professionals and experts to explore future treatments, causes and diagnostics associated with tm. We hope many of you will attend. Remembering our first symposium, I feel assured that all of us, family members, professionals and persons with a TM diagnosis, will come away with much information and support. I can't wait to see everyone who attended the Seattle conference again, and I can't wait to meet more of you.

In addition to information about the conference, you will read in this edition of the newsletter about the Reading for Rachel program, a wonderful way to assist in fundraising for TM research that most of us can accomplish in our local areas. While March is Reading for Rachel month, its good to know that every other month can be too. So, if you missed a chance at participating in March, use the same information/forms available at the TM website and use them for any time period that meets your needs. Remember, summer is a good time for reading too.

So many members have worked hard to find ways to support TMA and, most importantly, to identify ways to work for a cure to TM. These efforts are so apparent in the numerous articles of this newsletter as well as all the letters, emails and phone calls the Board Members receive on a regular basis. It is my hope that each of you will feel a bit more hopeful for the future and a lot less isolated from others as you read about the progress that is being made and the many who are here to support each other.

Sandy, as most of you know, has been our Vice-President and newsletter editor since TMA's inception. He has agreed to take on the presidency of the organization at this time while I am immersed in job and family matters. Unfortunately, circumstances change and I now have many responsibilities which are eating away at the time I have been able to dedicate to TMA. So, Sandy is stepping up again. This is no small gift as TMA is significantly growing. I will continue on as an active member of the Board. Paula, Debbie and Jim also remain indefatigable in their hard work for the Association. We are lucky, all of us, for the hard work and commitment of so many. I believe that it will make a difference towards the hope and dream of making a cure for transverse myelitis a reality.