Meredith E. Drench Lecture: Keeping Children and Adolescents with Down Syndrome Healthy

“Keeping Children and Adolescents with Down Syndrome Healthy: Medical Updates for Health Care Professionals”

Presented by Dr. Brian G. Skotko and Melissa J. Reilly

Thursday, April 7, 2016
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
595 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston MA
Questrom Rafiki B. Hariri Building, Room 105

About the Lecture

This talk will discuss new healthcare guidelines for people with Down syndrome from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Presenters will tackle common questions and concerns from patients’ parents about their sons and daughters with Down syndrome, providing answers and action steps based on the latest clinical research.

Admission is free. The public is cordially invited.

There will be a reception in the Questrom atrium following the lecture. Contact Katy Staley, 617-353-2705 for more details or to request special accommodations. You may also contact BU Disability Services.

About the Presenters

Dr. Brian G. Skotko

A board-certified medical geneticist and co-director of the Down Syndrome Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Brian G. Skotko has dedicated his career to children with cognitive and development disabilities. In 2001, he co-authored the national award-winning book, Common Threads: Celebrating Life with Down Syndrome and, most recently, Fasten Your Seatbelt: A Crash Course on Down Syndrome for Brothers and Sisters.

Dr. Skotko recently authored major research on how physicians deliver a diagnosis of Down syndrome to new and expectant parents. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The L.A. Times, NPR’s “On Point,” and ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Dr. Skotko serves on the Honorary Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, the Board of Directors for the Band of Angels Foundation, and the Professional Advisory Committee for the National Center for Prenatal and Postnatal Down Syndrome Resources. He is a graduate of Duke University, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard Kennedy School.

Based on his clinical experience, Dr. Skotko works to ensure that every healthcare professional can anticipate medical conditions so that the potential of all people with Down syndrome are maximized.

Melissa Joy Reilly

Melissa J. Reilly is a motivational speaker, Special Olympics Athlete and Global Messenger, and a member of Special Olympics Massachusetts Board of Directors. Reilly works at the Massachusetts State House for Senator Jamie Eldridge and is a classroom assistant at the Learning Program of Boston. She graduated from the Transition Program at Middlesex Community College in 2010.

Reilly has been the keynote speaker at many events across the country. In 2013, she represented the United States as an alpine skier at the Special Olympics World Games in Pyeong Chang, South Korea. She was also a member of Team USA in 2005 at the World Games in Nagano, Japan. In May of 2010 Reilly was inducted into the Special Olympics Hall of Fame.

Reilly’s goals are to become as independent as possible, to continue her education and exciting career, and to make a positive impact on the world.