My Unlikely TS Story - by Becky Brown
As my 6th year work anniversary just passed, I thought I would share My TS Story with you. Full disclosure – I don’t have Turner syndrome, my children don’t have TS, no one in my family has TS, nor have I ever knowingly met anyone that had TS in my life before the Turner Syndrome Society of the United States (TSSUS). So why do I do this work? The short answer is that it's my profession. I've worked in fund development and communciations for major national nonprofits for 25 years. Why I work for TSSUS is a bit deeper . . .
Even as a child, I always had a passion to fight (sometimes literally) for the underdog. I was the one friend to the kid that had no friends, I spent my meager allowance on penny candy for all the neighborhood kids while my sister saved hers (she has a beach house now), and I was taught compassion and giving from my very young parents who started with very little to give.
When I first began to research Turner syndrome (TS) after interviewing for the position at the Turner Syndrome Society of the Unted States (TSSUS), I was struck by the photos and the few stories I was able to read. I joined a few of the TS groups on Facebook and, as an observer, came to know many of you and, in general, the challenges I presumed you faced, both medically and sometimes socially. I began to imagine how I might be of service to the TS community as a whole and to each of you individually, and how I might be able to help. I must admit, I was deeply touched. I felt an immediate connection to the TS community and wanted so much to work with the organization.
I then turned my research to TSSUS and did a deep dive from a professional nonprofit executive perspective on whether I thought this would be a good fit for me. I saw a lot of opportunity for areas I knew I could impact, but honestly, I didn’t think TSSUS could afford me! By the time of my second interview, I had a plan mapped out in my head on how I could impact the organization and I was all-in. It turns out, they couldn’t afford me, but it didn’t matter. There are more important things to me than income and I wanted to do this work I knew I would love. I knew I could develop and grow fundraising and communications strategies for TSSUS, which could increase the services and support we could provide the TS community.
Here I am a full 6 years later, and, with your trust and belief, I’ve made a great many of those early visions for the organization come to fruition. I absolutely love what I do, I love working for the TS community, I have made life-long friends here, and I love the Turner Syndrome Society of the United States! Cindy, Deborah, and I are far more than staff members here. We are a dedicated team, and we work crazy hours and love every minute of it. We do this for you, and for us, because it sustains us.
For those of you that I have the pleasure of having a personal relationship with, you mean the world to me. For those of you I don’t have a personal relationship with yet, I can’t wait to get to know you better! As I always say, I consider it an honor and a privilege to do this work, and I’m grateful to each of you for trusting me with your stories, your friendships, your donations, and your challenges. I appreciate you.
Becky Brown
National Director of Development & Communiations
The Turner Syndrome Society of the United States
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