I am writing to ask you to make a year-end gift to the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders (NJCTS) so that more kids and families can benefit from our programs throughout the year. Each day, our services change lives:

Children living with TS need to be recognized and encouraged for their unique talents. New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders received this thank-you from a teen who was a recipient of our NJCTS Children's Scholarship award. Over the past 10 years, more than 200 scholarships have been awarded to graduating high school seniors throughout New Jersey diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. This program is funded through your donations.

Families need to connect: "I feel safe to be myself. I make friends and learn a lot. I wish I never had to leave Camp Bernie," one 12-year-old said. ... "We get to spend a whole weekend with other parents who face the same challenges and joys of parenting a child with TS. We bond, we share, it's the best weekend of the year," a mother of four exclaimed. The annual Family Retreat Weekend at YMCA Camp Bernie is funded through your donations.

Kids need support in school: "The student in-service program promotes tolerance and understanding, and my child is no longer being bullied or teased. He feels like he fits in with his peers. And the faculty in-service NJCTS conducted provided the teachers with strategies and accommodations that made academic success a reality. As a result, I have a happier child who has consistently easier days. Thank you so much!" Parents and kids in every corner of New Jersey receive direct support from NJCTS in dealing with school issues such as bullying and self-advocacy through our School In-Service Program, which is funded through your donations.

Health-care professionals need to understand: "Being part of the Patient-Centered Medical Education program has given me confidence and skills as a speaker. I feel proud of who I am as an advocate and like that I can speak and share my story with doctors, nurses and really with anyone. I feel I am making a difference for myself and others." Those words, spoken by a 16-year-old presenter, reflect the benefits of the training adolescents and parents receive from NJCTS. This training enables them to present workshops on life with TS to medical residents and practicing physicians across New Jersey and create a new generation of clinicians with interest and expertise in treating TS. And yes, the Patient-Centered Medical Education Program is funded through your donations.