My name is Rebecca Wyatt. I was born in California, and moved to Washington State when I was six years old with my sister and mother. I am no stranger to childhood illness and hardship. I spent nine years in therapy to correct a speech issue that made growing up difficult.

I am a wife, and mother to three beautiful children. My oldest is a girl, Kimmy, and two boys, Johnny and Alex. Both boys have seen a multitude of doctors in their young lives. After many years of testing to find a diagnosis, the doctors have been unable to name the genetic syndrome which affects them. Without an official diagnosis, it is hard to tell what the future might hold, the only thing we can do, is treat the symptoms, while being on the lookout for new symptoms. None of this lessens the impact on the children and their families. Not having an official diagnosis has also made it hard, almost impossible, to find services, or support. Some people find it difficult to believe, in this day and age, that there are still medical conditions that doctors are unable to give a name to. There is a large group of undiagnosed children who find that getting support is nearly impossible. A lot of these families feel the same as I do, alone.

Last year, I received an email from Brigid O'Donoghue. At first I thought it was spam, but I read it, and decided she must've sent it to me by accident. Because I knew nobody wanted my kids. I was so used to hearing no, that without an official diagnosis, the kids did not qualify for any services or support. So, I called Brigid to let her know she had misdirected the email so she could resend it to the real person. Brigid assured me that she did indeed mean to send us the email. She had learned about the boys' web-site through another person, and that she would love for me and all three of my kids to go fishing. I still had my doubts, and kept the trip quiet until all the paperwork was finished. True to her word, Brigid accepted the boys with open arms. She did not care that they were undiagnosed; she understood that the years of doctors, tests, therapy, and many illnesses had taken its toll on the children, and the whole family.

In August 2005, we went fishing with Brigid, Captain Marc Turner, and his crew. That trip was so wonderful, just what everyone, including myself, really needed. The kids had so much fun, just being kids. Everyone made them feel truly cared about. It was a weekend to forget about doctors, tests, medicines, and worrying about whatever the future holds. It was a weekend to be a normal family and have fun without the shadow of uncertainty.

Since then, Brigid has been very supportive of me and my family. Being asked to join the USSA Humanitarian Committee is a great honor.