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From: Dorvan Breitenfeldt and Tom Gurrister
Date: 10/4/02
Time: 2:31:11 PM
Remote Name: 216.64.138.88
Dear Professors,
By now all of you have likely heard of the stutterers in Cameroon, Africa including the Lukong family with an unusual high incidence of stuttering. An Article appeared in the recent newsletter of the Stuttering Foundation concerning Dr. Drayna's genetic research. We have had considerable contact with Joseph Lukong and the Speak Clear Organization of Cameroon (SCAC). They would like to send two of their members to the USA to be studied by Dr. Drayna and attend the Successful Stuttering Management Program (SSMP) at the University of Utah summer 2003. These two stutterers would then function as liaison people and assist in setting up a continuing SSMP Workshop at one of their Universities. Dr. Drayna of the NIH and a member of the stuttering community willl finance the travel expenses for Joseph Lukong. Some scholarship funds will likely pay much of his therapy and room and board expenses. Our goal is to obtain funding for the second person. We feel that it is essential to have two stutterers go through and be trained on the progam if we are going to successfully establish a SSMP at one of their Universities. This, of course, also opens up a host of research opportunities as it's difficult to find so many untreated stutterers any place in the world. This all leads up to our question: What suggestions, recommendations or advice would you professors have for raising funds to bring the second person to the USA and the Workshop? We look forward to your wisdom.
Respectfully,
Dorvan Breitenfeldt Professor Emeritus Eastern Washington University Co-author SSMP
Tom Gurrister Director, SSMP Workshop Univ. of Utah Salt Lake City Utah