2012 NMO Patient Day

The 2012 NMO Patient Day titled, Living with NMO4, invited members of the public who have been affected by NMO to engage in dialogues with leading NMO scientists and clinicians from all over the world, and also with other NMO patients. Attendees consisted of NMO patients, caregivers, family, friends, NMO scientists and clinicians, GJCF founders and foundation staff members.
NMO Patient Day featured welcome messages from Founder Victoria Jackson and her daughter Ali Guthy. Also featured were presentations about the GJCF NMO Biorepository, the foundation’s first scientific research panel, two clinical question-and-answer panel discussions and eight breakout sessions. Please refer to the agenda on page 40 for the full description of sessions, speakers and panelists.

The opening of Patient Day introduced a video of “The Ellen Show” featuring Victoria Jackson and Ali Guthy discussing their experiences with NMO and their newly published book titled Saving Each Other. “The Ellen Show” aired on television Oct. 23, 2012, on station KNBC. The foundation offered a show room in the conference hotel where all attendees were invited to watch the live television show broadcast. Approximately 60 people participated in the live viewing. Every Patient Day attendee received a free copy of Saving Each Other. Authors Victoria Jackson and Ali Guthy signed copies of the book offered to attendees.

A second short film titled How Can We See in the Dark? was featured at start of Patient Day. Produced by Wondros, the film was narrated by Christine Ha, winner of Masterchef Season 3, also known as cookbook author, “The Blind Cook.”

Each Patient Day attendee received a free copy of an NMO resource guide produced by the foundation titled NMO: What You Need to Know which offers the NMO patient community information about NMO science and daily living resources. In addition to the guide, the foundation featured its first booth selling items produced by the foundation. T-shirts, wristbands, pens and other items were sold to attendees. All items were available for purchase online with 100 percent of all proceeds allocated to NMO scientific research.

NMO patients, scientists and clinicians participated in a GJCF sponsored film production onsite. Interviews were conducted over a two-day period by Wondros. Captured film footage was slated for post-production in 2013 with the film’s release in the same year.

Photo Gallery

Video Gallery

Click here for access to videos from 2012 NMO Patient Day.