Members of F.I.R.S.T. and their families gathered in Mystic, Connecticut over the weekend of July 18, 2009 for the Region 1 meeting. This meeting marked the first meeting of the new region structure. Seventy-three members, faculty and F.I.R.S.T. staff, representing 9 states from Region 1, came together for this one-day meeting. Dr. Leonard Milstone, Dermatology Professor at Yale University School of Medicine, was the keynote speaker. His discussion touched on topics of skin care and how to best manage the treatments required for care. Dr. Milstone led a question and answer session after his talk. The afternoon was spent in break-out sessions facilitated by Keith Choate, MD, from Yale University and Kara Shah, MD, from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Each session was geared specifically for parents and caregivers, or affected adults. Members also had the opportunity to spend time sharing product information and connecting with new friends. This was a wonderful opportunity for members to come together as a community.

Additional regional meetings planned for this year will be held in Houston, Texas on September 19, and Las Vegas, Nevada on October 3. In 2010 members will gather in Disney World for our biennial Family Conference.