ACA Day 1

Although I was only away from Scott and Robby for a day, I found myself missing my family last night. I was excited to be at the conference but hearing Robby over the phone made my heart pang. I missed his sweet little smile, and I wanted to give him a hug.

After a relatively laid back afternoon, I prepared myself for the Welcome Reception, which marked the opening of the Exhibition Hall. My emotions were mixed. I was excited to be at the conference but I missed my little boy. I was looking at pictures of him on my cell phone when I walked into the hall.

I looked up from my phone, and began to smile. I realized immediately that I was not going to be struggling with "Robby withdraws" for the duration of my trip. Anytime I miss him, all I need to do is look up and I will see a larger than life photo of Robby and me.

I was in the booth most of the evening, leaving me unable to visit the other exhibitors. I am hoping that I will be able to look around during a break today. I am eager to see the "latest and greatest" prosthetic components. Of course, I will be sure to let you know what I discover!

On a separate topic, a segment on 20/20 tonight follows a Tanzanian woman with Albanism who was mutilated for her bones. Mariamu was viciously attacked and her arms were amputated by bandits. Miraculously she survived to tell her horrific tale.

My prosthetist, Elliot Weintrob, learned of her story and offered his services. He closed his business for nearly a week so that he could focus on providing Mariamu with prosthetic arms. Physical Therapists joined the effort to teach her how to use her new devices.

Miriamu fought against the odds to survive her brutal attack. She is now using her voice to educate the world about the plight of Tanzanian Albinos. Tonight at 10 pm on 20/20 her story will finally be told.