The message is going out …

I am humbled and pleased that the story and headline of my award acceptance piece was run both as a major article and highlight. I don’t have the full article but here is the teaser:

“Award-winner says goal of communications to give voice to the voiceless

NEW ORLEANS (CNS) — Vicki Wells Bedard, honored for her work in diocesan communications over the last 25 years, urged an audience of Catholic media professionals in New Orleans to help her share her voice about a rare disease called frontotemporal dementia affecting her and about 250,000 other Americans. “As church communicators we know how important it is to give voice to the voiceless,” she said during an awards luncheon June 4 at the Catholic Media Convention in New Orleans. “Help me tell more people about this terrible disease, this dementia so often missed or misdiagnosed until it’s too advanced,” she said. Bedard made the remarks in a videotaped speech in which she accepted the 2010 President’s Medallion from the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals. The award, the academy’s highest honor, recognizes lifetime achievement and service to Catholic communications. She was present at the luncheon, held during the joint convention of the Catholic Press Association and the academy, whose members work in film and electronic media. Faith magazine helped fund the trip to the convention for Bedard and her daughters.

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This clip was forwarded to others who have linked their newspaper or website (catholic dioceses); tomorrow I will be interviewed about my life as a Christian and FTD ‘chosen’. Other Catholic organizations have picked up the news piece as well.

Susan, Cindy & Elizabeth, just look what you’ve started ;o)

Love, Vicki

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Added June 15: AmericanCatholic.com published the full article on their website, and we hope many other publications and websites share the story too so more people can learn about this disease that affects so many persons, yet is little known nor diagnosed effectively. Jim Coyle