Smart Kids: Disney Family 5K for Tourette Syndrome Association

There's only one reason I would get up at 5 o'clock in the morning to participate in a 5K…my son! Mickey was awake..Minnie was awake…and Mrs. Gammons was "awake." Our family took part in the marathon weekend at Walt Disney World to raise awareness for TSA, the Tourette Syndrome Association.

Jayne, Christopher (Eliot's TS best bud), Eliot (my son), Keith

Here's the family…me, our son's best TS bud, our son, and my husband (who also has TS). So what is Tourette Syndrome anyway? Well, it might not be what you think…and it might be more than you think. TS is an inherited neurobiological disorder. TS is characterized by involuntary sudden movements and vocalizations, known as tics. A common misconception is that those affected curse. In fact, less than 10 percent of those affected have what is known as coprolalia. What causes TS is not yet fully understood, and to date, a cure has not been found. It is estimated that one person out of a hundred has a mild form of the disorder and one in one thousand has a severe case of TS.

In addition to funding research, TSA's mission is to provide educational programs, awareness activities and services for people living with TS and their families.

You have taught, do teach or will teach a child with TS. Have you seen a child with repetitive movements or heard a child with repetitive sounds. Was that child just not able to stop? I hope with all my heart you'll learn more about it. For more info, go here:

http://www.active.com/donate/wdw14/eliotsteamtsa

or here:

http://www.tsa-usa.org

Back to the fun. Here's proof that I was up. (That Rocky theme can inspire you to do anything.)

Here's proof that we ran every mile. (Ok. So we walked. I did run to the bathroom once.)