MOEBIUS SYNDROME IN THE NEWS
First of all, look at what our friend and colleague Matthew Joffe is up to these days:
"VSA, the international organization on arts and disability, presents Ping Chong & Company's Inside/Out...voices from the disability community, a performance piece about culture and identity in America,
June 17-19, at Round House Theatre in Bethesda, Md. Called "riveting" with a "wide streak of humor" and "theatrical snap" by The Washington Post, Inside/Out is interview-based theater that weaves the cast members' individual stories with historical events. Spoken word is taken to a new dramatic level in Inside/Out, which engages rhythm, repetition, and role-playing to create a theatrical work that is both thoughtful and thought-provoking.
VSA originally commissioned Inside/Out in 2008, and it premiered at the Kennedy Center later that year. In 2009, the production was presented Off-Broadway at The TimesCenter.  "The disability community is both the largest and the fastest-growing minority in America," said Elena Widder, vice president of public
awareness at VSA. "We want to shed light on the disability experience in an honest, forthright, and engaging way."
Written and directed by Ping Chong and Sara Michelle Zatz, a Bethesda native, in collaboration with the featured performers, this production showcases the first-hand experiences of members of the disability
community. Individual histories are interconnected in a script performed by the participants themselves, giving voice to individuals whose stories frequently go unheard....
Performers include:
· Matthew S. Joffe, an actor who is senior director of the Office for
Students with Disabilities at LaGuardia Community College, and who was
born with Moebius Syndrome."

Meanwhile, there's yet more news about another Moebius hero--Jack Marshall:
"A TEENAGER has overcome his disability to raise hundreds of pounds for
a sports and education trust.  Jack Marshall has visual and hearing impairments and a rare
neurological disorder called Moebius Syndrome – which left him wheelchair-bound, unable to move independently.
But despite all this, Jack, 13, of Green Lane, Belton, has now completed a 3km race in the Arena Group Junior and Mini Run event in Leeds.  And he managed to raise more than £400 for the Scunthorpe United
Sports and Education Trust – for which he is trust ambassador. Sarah Teal, disability officer at Scunthorpe United FC, said she was overwhelmed by how far he had come. She said: "Jack is our patron. He sets his own standards when he goes and raises money in this fashion. "We are very proud of Jack's achievements and this was his hardest challenge yet.
"The funding that Jack raised will go towards disability summer play schemes for young people with a disability in North Lincolnshire."  Jack ran the race with his sister, Jaimie.  Jaimie is a young carer and has worked with the club trust to pass on  her skills to other young children. Another big fan of Jack's continuous hard work is his mum, Linda. She said she was very proud of her son.
"There isn't a measuring scale large enough to calculate the level of pride I feel when I watch Jack taking part in activities," she said.  "It is so obviously physically challenging to him and causes great discomfort, but it's his determination that shines through as he does it.  "It is not just about Jack. It is also credit to Jaimie because she is the unsung hero in all of this. Without her he would not be able to do them."
Jack ran the race for the Scunthorpe United Community Sports And Education Trust, a charity that for more than 18 months has been delivering a comprehensive package for young people with a disability.
They have been working in partnership with the integrated services for disabled children team at North Lincolnshire Council. Lee Turnbull, Scunthorpe United Sports And Education Trust executive,
said: "Jack is an inspirational young man who endeavours to strive to do his best.
"Our relationship with Jack and his family has a special bond and will hopefully remain this way for many years."

"The problem is that most people focus on their failures
rather than their successes.  But the truth is that most
people have many more successes than failures."
-Jack Canfield