In going through this website, especially the Words From The Heart section, you've learned that the majority of the young people who are NYA members are either Huntington's Disease positive or are at-risk.  Many help care for a parent with HD while going to school or working. Some members have given up their dreams for a college education or career to help at home.  Others are fortunate to be able to pursue their dreams and are either full time students or working on their career.  The majority live in a home where finances are very tight due to one parent being unable to contribute to the household income except through SSDI.   Every year as many members of the NYA members as possible try to attend an HDSA National Convention.  The support and comradreship they are able to provide each other at the convention helps sustain them through some pretty difficult times throughout the remainder of the year.     There have been times one or more of the older NYA members have hitchhiked across country just to attend an HDSA national convention!!  Believe me, as a parent, that puts fear in all our heart!! However, I'm telling you this so you how important it is for them to attend a HDSA national convention/be surrounded by those their own age who understand.    Out of the donations collected by the National Youth Alliance at the HDSA convention each year from their Talent Show and Silent Auction, 1/3 goes towards the NYA Convention Scholarship Fund.   This money, in conjunction with additional donations or fund raising contributions hopefully received throughout the year, is used to help finance those NYA members, who due to financial hardships, are unable to attend an HDSA national convention.   The NYA Convention Scholarship is open to current and alumni members of the HDSA National Youth Alliance only.  In order to participate, you must submit an NYA Membership Application to join, if you haven't already done so.   Support the 2008 NYA Scholarship Currently, there are over 100 members of the HDSA National Youth Alliance.  One full scholarship can run anywhere from $1,000.00 to $2,000.00 depending on the location of the National Convention and where the applicant lives.   If you would like to make a donation to the 2008 HDSA National Youth Alliance Convention Scholarship Fund you may do so by making your check payable to the "HDSA"  and put in the memo section, or attach a note, indicating that your donation is for the NYA Convention Scholarship Fund. If you have any questions about this Fund, you may contact Mynelly Perez at 1-800-345-4372 Ext. 214 or email her at mperez@hdsa.org   Donations should be mailed to: Huntington's Disease Society of America 505 Eighth Avenue, Suite 902 New York, NY 10018 Attention:  Mynelly Perez   Thank you!

To give you an idea of what receiving a convention scholarship means to our young people living with HD, below are comments made by the first two recipents of the 2004 NYA Convention Scholarship: A full scholarship was awarded to  Shane B. and a partial scholarship to Stacy H. As you will read, both of these young adults have Juvenile Huntington's Disease and attending the HDSA National Convention was extremely important to them. Shane: Shane, who is 22 years old,  lives in an Assisted Living Facility in NY and was diagnosed with JHD at age 15.  He is the adopted son of Pat Pillis who many of you know through her dedication to education and awareness on Juvenile Huntington's Disease.  This was the first time Shane attended an HDSA national convention.    In response to the NYA scholarship application question "What Attending An HDSA National Convention Means to Me" Shane wrote:  "I never wanted to go to the convention before.  I was scared.  Now, I am not.  I know I will be okay when I die, in heaven with Jesus and a brand-new HD free body.  Now I would like to go to the convention.  Mom showed me a picture of all of the NYA young people at the convention last year and it made me feel less alone.  I am not understood very well when I speak now, I am afraid I will not be able to talk much longer.  I would really like to go to St. Louis while I can still communicate. There are three people I especially want to meet: 1.  Shana Martin - she is the first person I met on-line and she is beautiful. 2.  Shane Williams - he is young and adopted with JHD just like me and 3.  Billy Aaron Brown - he's famous and has to deal with HD too" Stacy: Stacy, who is 23 years old, lives in Michigan with her family.  Stacy has attended two HDSA National conventions in the past.  She is a beautiful young lady who appears in several of the HDSA Awareness Ads    In response to the NYA scholarship application question "What Attending An HDSA National Convention Means to Me" Stacy wrote: "I love the convention, it's the only time I get to spend with my young juvenile HD friends.  I couldn't go last year but we all went in 2002 to the convention in Columbus, Ohio and the year before that in San Diego.    My mom and stepdad learned a lot of things there that help me, like feeding techniques, relaxation therapies and also new and promising drugs. Before, every time I came back from a convention, I was happy because I saw progress being made in HD.  That renews my hopes.    It if wasn't for that hope, I don't think me and Mom would be alive today.  My family is committed to making this the LAST generation of HD."   Unfortunately there was a family emergency and Stacy wasn't able to attend the 2004 convention.  I'm also sad to report that Stacy died from complications of JHD on November 16, 2007 one month after her 27th birthday.