Dear Friends & Family,

This year I celebrate my 55^th Birthday on March 11! My 50^th Birthday was a tad bit of bust, but now that I qualify for the senior citizen menu at most family-style restaurants, I thought I would do something really special. This year, instead of gifts, cards, or gift cards, I would like to invite you to make a donation for something very dear to heart!

As you know, I am legally blind, but what most do not know is that my mother was a Professional Braille Transcriber and Tactile Map Illustrator. She was a huge advocate for early supports work with blind children to help them be as successful in their education as possible. She dedicated her life to far, equal, and accessible education for blind children. When she passed away many years ago, her library of work even went to the Library of Congress. Few know how difficult and complicated Braille Transcription is and even more how few math braillists and tactile illustrators there are. When she passed we lost one of our great advocates and I lost my best friend in life. She was a truly remarkable woman who had the most robust laugher you could ever imagine. When people are asked they would tell you they remember her for two things, her heart and her laughter.

In 2021, through a lifetime friend (Marcee Merrian, we’ve known each other 50+ years, for real!) introduced me to her work at Kindering. As an organization that works with families navigating the early journey of raising children with disabilities, the work they do is transformational! They are giving families the hope and tools they need to create a life that gives their children the greatest opportunity for success, what more could any parent want. One of their programs focuses specifically on working with infants to 3-year-olds who are blind and visually impaired. This is a critical age for not only diagnosis, but also helping them to orient and navigate the crazy world we all live in. Their team of Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI) specialists are remarkable and do truly inspirational work. My mother would have been in tears knowing this program exists, there was nothing like it when I was a young one during ancient times (haha).

For this reason I set up the Pat Coalman TSVI Scholarship Fund to support the amazing staff at Kindering get the continued education they need to be TSVI Specialists and serve families who so desperately need their expertise. The Pat Coalman Fund is specifically for this program and all proceeds benefit the agencies ability to provide education opportunities that would otherwise go unfunded. In Spring 2023, there is a unique educational opportunity to be part of a conference focused on Literacy and Augmented Learning that will focus on the latest research, techniques, and educational models to help blind children succeed. I would like to invite you to HELP ME support this initiative and ensure the Kindering’s TSVI team can participate through the Pat Coalman TSVI Fund. My goal is to raise $5,000. I wish I could write the check in totality, but I cannot, as I took work in non-profit. WOULD YOU HELP ME??? Whether $25 or $2500, every dime to the fund makes a direct and significant impact on the lives of blind children in our community.

You all know me, you know I would never ask if it wasn’t something that deeply touched my heart! This would deeply touch my heart and I know it would make my mother proud that her name was going to such important work.

All those who watch my videos hear me say … “know you are loved, know that I love you, please take care of yourself, and care for each other, Namaste”.

Thank you and blessings upon you,
Troy

P.S. If you knew my mother, you know she went to Shari’s and had pie on the house when she turned 55!