Darla Freeman-LeVay's NSDA Update

Since 1999, the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association (NSDA) takes great pleasure in bestowing The Midge Kovacs Annual Awareness Award.  In doing so, we honor the outstanding work of an SD support group. 

For their work in 2011, this award this year is given to Co-Leaders, Ron Langdon and James Anderson, of the Tampa Bay SD Support Group.  They follow in the footsteps of the late pioneering SD advocate, Midge Kovacs.  Midge encouraged all of us with SD to think beyond our individual voice problems. 

In December, 2011, the Tampa Bay SD Support Group conducted a three-mile walk to benefit the NSDA which raised over $ 6,000.  Support Group Co-Leader, Ron Langdon, commented:  “Our group in Tampa greatly appreciates all that the NSDA does, and we are thrilled to make this contribution!”  Advocacy Leader, Emma Mattes, described it this way:  “This was one of the best things that our group ever did, and we are so fortunate to have the most phenomenal members in Florida.  It started out as such a simple premise of ‘let’s give something back’. We cannot express our amazement at the support that we received from our families, friends, and co-workers.  We raised more money than we ever dreamed possible, and we didn’t even have corporate sponsors.  I say, ‘let’s take this national next year’.”

Tom Hofmann will accept the award for this support group since the Tampa co-leaders can’t be with us.  Tom participated in Tampa Bay’s fundraising walk.  Thank you, Tampa Bay SD Support Group, for your inspiring work which encourages all of us to “speak out for spasmodic dysphonia”.