Happy 2018! I hope it is a great one for you and your family.
Well, I already have one resolution for 2018- blog more consistently. I am not meeting my goals and hope to do better in this new year.
A few things to share.
I had a wonderful trip to Japan as guest speaker for the Japanese Pediatric Orthopedic Society. I spent 3 days in Tokyo at the meeting and exploring the city. My hosts, pictured below, were wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed the exchange of knowledge and culture. I had the privilege of speaking on arthrogryposis. I shared our philosophies for the care of the arthrogrypotic child including our assessment and treatment strategies.
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| My host and the President of the JPOA, Dr Takayama and his amazing wife. |
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| Catching up with old friends, Hide and Emiko, who I see almost each year at our study group, CHASG. |
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| An absolutely amazing dinner hosted by Professor Takayama! Many courses of delicious food and even better conversation. |
There have been a few news stories that caught my eye in the later half of 2017. Today, a major college football bowl day, is a good time to share one such story. Troy Fumagalli is a talented tight end for the University of Wisconsin. He is likely to be drafted as a high pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and he is reported to have “great hands”. He is also an amniotic constriction band patient who is missing the index finger on his left hand! His early life story will sounds familiar to many of you. His confidence and determination should inspire all of us.
Fumagalli link
Second Fumagalli link
One of the reasons that I love what I do is the interactions I have with amazing children with birth differences of the upper extremity and their families. Their positivity and hope sends a strong message for me every day.
I am very much looking forward to the new year. As with each preceding year, it will bring many opportunities to make a positive impact. Exciting travels await as well! Stay tuned!
My Bio at Washington University
congenitalhand@wudosis.wustl.edu