Annual General Meeting and Information Day 2018 in Göttingen: Record number of participants, public viewing and creative young reporters
Author
Gabi Niethammer
As in the previous year, we met again at the Hotel Freizeit In in Göttingen to hold the Alpha1 information day with around 250 participants.
The annual general meeting took place beforehand with 215 members in attendance, the highest number in the club's history. Since no elections were scheduled, there was time to take a more in-depth look at the past year's activities and future plans. The meeting concluded with a public viewing of one of our new explanatory videos.
At the information day, we focused on a wide range of information: Less common terminology used in AATM was explained, nutrition was discussed, and helpful tips for Alphas were given. We also delved into the political sphere, learning about guidelines and the Disease Management Program. Furthermore, we received interesting results from a three-year liver study, in which we Alphas from the association are significantly involved. A lively pulmonary exercise program provided some fun and movement after lunch, and the day concluded with a presentation on our annual theme: resilience.
Our new offer for family members to meet with our advisor, Ms. Tempel, to talk and exchange ideas about everyday life and possible problems alongside an Alpha has been very well received.
We also had something new planned for the children and teenagers: instead of spending the whole Saturday out and about as a group, the young people spent the morning in small groups filming interviews with some of the members using their mobile phones. Our aim was for the young people to engage more with their condition and become actively involved. The resulting video can be seen on our YouTube channel. Simply search for "Alpha1 Deutschland" on YouTube and enjoy the dynamic interaction between the young people and their interviewees. In just four weeks, the video has already been viewed 184 times – a great success! Meanwhile, the younger members created a large wooden mosaic and proudly presented it to everyone.
Now I wish you much enjoyment and good reading with the summarized protocols.
Sincerely, Gabi Niethammer
Published in Alpha1 Journal 1/2018
Overview of the lectures
- Dr. Andreas Wilke: Basic knowledge of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and explanations of terms – e.g., What are bronchiectasis?
- Veronika Hofmann: Nutrition for Alpha-1 with tips for everyday life
- Dr. Pavel Strnad: Results from the study on liver involvement in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, which has been running since 2015.
- Prof. Heinrich Worth: What do guidelines and disease management programs (DMPs) mean for the patient?
- Monika Tempel: "Fall down, get up, straighten your crown, and keep going." Resilience is more than just a cool saying!
