Hi! My name is Genevieve LaGrow, and I have dopa-responsive dystonia. Because it took over 7 years for doctors to diagnose my condition, I thought I would try to help other kids with movement disorders, specifically dystonia. I had been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at first, and I wonder how many other kids might have had the same thing happen to them?
How could I help them to find the truth about their symptoms? I had been to therapy to help make my muscles relax, but what if there was a chain of therapy in which everyone who had Dystonia could take part? A chain with hundreds and thousands of feet, all moving separately but on the same body, like a centipede. The words formed together in my mind: THERAPEDE.

Over the past few years, I have been pen pals with kids from Chile, Texas and Colorado. Each time I talk to someone new, I realize how important it is to reach out and share my story with them. It helps me by knowing that others are going through what I'm going through. And I think I can help others feel like they aren't alone. I have three personal goals that I want to achieve.

My first goal is to attach a blog to my website where kids can discuss what it's really like to live with dystonia. If you have any ideas of what you might want to talk about, please send me an email. I will read your suggestions and try to use as many as I can in my blog. Do you have any pictures you want to share? I will have a photo gallery too!