Meet the Faces Behind the DCC Planning Committee
The countdown has begun for the 2024 debra Care Conference (DCC) on July 28-31 in vibrant Atlanta, GA! This extraordinary gathering brings together individuals and families impacted by Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), alongside leading experts in the field, for four days of education, connection, and empowerment.
Behind the scenes, our DCC Planning Committee is striving to ensure that this year's event exceeds expectations. Among these dedicated individuals are Sarah, Armando, and Anne. Their personal and professional connections to EB make them invaluable to the planning process, ensuring that the conference truly resonates with the needs of our community.
Registration for the 2024 DCC closes June 10th! Learn more and register
Sarah Morrill
“I had the best experience being part of planning the 2022 DCC, and I’m thrilled to be coming back for the 2024 DCC! I feel inspired to be part of this committee because I get to be a positive and memorable representative for the EB Community. I am most excited about the amount of representation this conference will have on the part of the EB community members. I love seeing people, 'just like me,’ sharing their stories and experiences — not just the professionals!
I love meeting new folks and would be interested in making new friends and connections at conference! I'll be participating in/leading several small groups and panel presentations. I also plan to team-up with my good friend Michelle to highlight adaptive equipment that can be very helpful! Check us out in the exhibitor hall!”
Armando Head-McCurdy
“I was inspired to join the 2024 planning committee after seeing how well the 2022 conference went. I knew I wanted to be more involved in making the conference the best it has ever been.
The best part of the conference is being able to connect with people —either old friends I haven’t seen in a while or meeting brand new people —especially because we are all there for the same purpose. I’m looking forward to leading a few talks for the EB Community and getting to connect.
Absolutely people can find me around the conference! Me and my fiancé, Sarah, are both leading talks. I am leading a talk for the Junctional group and a teen talk for the younger ones with EB. Plus, I’ll just generally be wandering around. I can also be reached on my social media: @sanandez94”
Anne Davis
“I am so excited to be able to participate in this year’s DCC, and specifically help to plan some events related to trauma and grief, which is a very important topic for myself and my family since we lost our daughter Hallie Grace to Junctional EB in 2021 at the age of 3 months and 3 days old.
As a grieving family, sometimes it’s hard to know exactly where you fit, so I’m honored to help present some resources for other families that might be struggling. I also know trauma and grief are not strictly reserved for loss of life, so I truly believe this will be such an important topic for most DCC attendees.
My passion since becoming a mother, and especially after losing my Hallie Grace, has become opening the door to talk about topics that were once taboo. As a clinical psychologist along with my personal experiences, I can say with certainty, social support and the feeling of belonging are key in any type of emotional health, so I look forward to sharing resources, opening discussions, and helping to create connections so no one feels alone in their journey. DEBRA has made it a priority to honor all EB families and make sure they all feel included, no matter where they are in the journey, so I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to help plan this very needed area.
Honestly, I’m most excited about continuing to build connections within the EB Community. When Hallie was diagnosed, so many people from the community reached out with support, advice, and encouragement and have continued to be a big part of our family’s lives in such a positive way. However, since everyone is so spread out, we’ve only met most of these people online through social media. So, we are all thrilled to get to see them and get to know them even better in person! Also, after losing Hallie Grace, we actually created a nonprofit called Heroes for Hallie Grace Inc. to help give back to this amazing community, so we are also excited to see how else we can help and what other services we could potentially provide!
My family (husband Joe, 5-year-old daughter Brielle, and 1.5-year-old son Evan) will be there for the entire event! We’re all so excited to meet/see everyone!”
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience the magic of the 2024 DCC! Register today to secure your spot. Registration closes on June 10, 2024.
