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On the Line ... When You Call
When you call our telephone number, 800-767-4VHL (toll-free from US,
Canada, and Mexico) or +1-617-277-5667, you hear a menu in the resonant
tones of Bruce Weinberg, a certified Talking Book reader and member of
our Board of Directors.
As Bruce
will tell you, you can press 1 for the English-language hotline, press 2
for service in Spanish, or press 5 for service in French.
Our menu routes calls to the home of the volunteer most suited to answer
your questions. These very special people all have VHL themselves, and
have experience in their own families and with hundreds of callers over
many years. If they can’t answer your question themselves, they
will help you find a good answer.
During the recent hurricane, they helped people who had been treated
in New Orleans find alternative sources of health care for VHL.
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Altheada Johnsonin New York chairs the
Hotline committee, and is in her tenth year of
service on
our Board of Directors. |
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Audrey Clifton in North Carolina is a grandmother
with a very big heart.
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Alexandra Morais in New Jersey comes from Colombia
and answers calls in Spanish language on extension 2. Calls come
from literally all over the world. |
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Emily Stevens, also from New Jersey, is new to
the hotline team. She has been dealing with VHL in four generations
of her family. She has also been an active participant in the online
list. |
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Paul Bonneau from Quebec, Canada, is a long-time
leader and participant in the Canadian VHLFA and in the French language
online support group. He answers calls in French on extension 5. |
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Evelyn Werner from New York joins the hotline
team this season, bringing her rich experience with VHL. She and
her husband Bob have attended nearly every VHLFA meeting since 1994.
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Lois Erickson from Minnesota is an alternate,
filling in when needed. Her story was one of the first we ran in
the newsletter, sharing five generations of VHL in her own family.
Lois, her sister Audrey, and her niece Kelly Heselton have all served
as leaders in VHLFA. |
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Christina Doyle from California is a college student
with VHL, studying to be a genetic counselor. She does special projects
for Joyce and is glad to speak with you about DNA testing. |
We are grateful to each of these very special people.
Collectively, they have more than 325 years of personal experience
with VHL, and more than 50 years of service to the VHL Family Alliance. |
Volunteers of the Year
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Gale Lugo (Florida)
and Rachael Morgenstern (Massachusetts) were honored
this year as Volunteers of the Year.
Gale has been chairman for Florida
since 1994. She is one of the moderators of the English-language
Online Support group, and is Acting Chair for the Southeastern Region.
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Rachael has been our volunteer Clerk and Office Coordinator since
1993. She opens the mail, records the donations, sends thank-you notes,
and maintains the database. She has been our steadfast friend through
many operations, and is enjoying having Robin Cochrane in the office
as well. |
Can You Help Too?
As printed in the VHL Family Forum 13:3, Annual
Report 2005. For permission to reprint, please contact VHL Family Alliance,
editor@vhl.org. Further information is available from the VHL Family Alliance, info@vhl.org.
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