TESTIMONIALS RECEIVED AFTER NIS's 2008 NEDAW PROGRAMMING IN WISCONSIN:

I need to tell you about the changes that have taken place since my 12 year old daughter and I saw NORMAL.  After the play we went to Starbucks and we talked about the play.  I let her know about some things in my life and my bad relationship with food.  She revealed that some of the girls at her school were getting really mad at her at lunch and were accusing her of having an eating disorder.  Over the past few weeks her grades had been dropping and she had been isolating more and more – arguing with and losing friends.  She didn't want to be in any clubs or after school activities and I was getting really worried.  I knew that she wasn't eating breakfast, in fact, every morning it was a struggle and I tried to convince her that she needed food in the morning, but she usually left the house with nothing in her stomach.  Since she was eating well at dinner, I let it slide.  What was revealed that evening was she was eating a Nabisco snack (peanut butter crackers) and drinking a bottled water each day for lunch.  That was it.  No breakfast and peanut butter crackers!  She said there was nothing in the cafeteria that she wanted or liked.  Since Monday 2/25 we have begun shopping together and making her a lunch every day – she will also eat breakfast; not much, but more than before.  Now I don't have scientific evidence that this is connected, but I am convinced that it is: all of her grades are going up – she had Ds and Fs in her academic classes three weeks ago (very out of character for her) and she is up to Cs and one D now, and she is motivated and confident that she will bring everything up by the end of the quarter.  She tried out for the play, and announced today that she will be playing volleyball this spring.  She is bouncing back and I really think it has to do with food.  If we had not seen the play, who knows how much longer it would have been before we had this conversation?  I am so grateful that you brought this program to East.  It was a powerful play that has opened the door to healthier living in my home. 

~Jean (teacher at Tosa East)

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Hey Robyn. I have seen the show 2 times. I just saw it at Wauwatosa West high, and at Whitewater. I mean the show is like telling my story with my eating disorder. I see myself in Polly soooo much and the family is like my family, sorta. Well anyway, i have had my Eating Disorder for about 5 years and i had gone to treatment in October for 7 week inpatient/ partial hospitalization. It was tough. I am still struggling today but if i can save or help one person that would mean the world to me by sharing my story. I go to a high school that has a lot of stigma about the girl and there appearance so I'm an outcast there. I don't fit in with them, and now I'm know as the girl that doesn't eat for 5 days and then purges everything she eats. Also known as a cutter. Life is very hard, still trying to recover but thanks for listening/reading. It means a lot that you responded to me.

~Kelsey

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Hi Robyn,

My daughter and I went to the performance of Normal at Tosa East last night and I thought it was very insightful.  My daughter suffers from an eating disorder and I completely identified with Kayla - Polly was so on target with my daughter's behavior.  The two of us were just sobbing during the song "Write This".

Thank you and your company so much for the extremely moving performance.

J. Conner

SOME FACTS FROM NIS's 2008 NEDAW PROGRAMMING:

?          After the matinee performance at Wauwatosa East High School on 2/25/08,
4 individuals approached the NIS talkback panelist (clinical psychologist) and several spoke with the person in recovery.  Most notably, one student said that her parents had been trying to get her to go to treatment.  She asked for the card of the clinical psychologist to finally seek treatment.

?          After the evening performance at Wauwatosa East High School on 2/25/08,
7 people spoke with the clinical psychologist.  Most notably, the parent of the girl from the morning performance who had been trying to get her child into treatment.  Another parent and her 12 year old who were referred to see NORMAL by their pediatrician also approached the talkback panelists for discussion. 

?          On Tuesday, 2/26/08, a mother who saw NORMAL at Wauwatosa East called for treatment for her 14 year old son.

?          At least two other patients have called for treatment after experiencing NIS's 2008 NEDAW programming.

QUOTATIONS TAKEN FROM 2008 NEDAW SURVEYS:

Below are a few quotations taken from over 700 surveys collected after NIS's 2008 NEDAW programming.  A special thank you to the two individuals currently tabulating the results of the reflections: Christy Drossel -- student at Alverno College studying art therapy – and Ashley Hacker -- Ph.D. candidate at Iowa State University who is using the NIS program as a study.

- a 19-28 year old who participated in the NIS program at UW-Whitewater wrote: "To a certain extent, NIS made me realize how real a problem this is.  I think everyone needs to see this.  It is hard to tell where "normal" and eating disorder begins.  ED's are everyone's problem – we can ALL do something.

- a 19-28 year old female who participated in the NIS program at Marquette University and who had struggled with an eating disorder wrote: "NORMAL gave me a new perspective, a new story, a sense of hopefulness.  It shows that in families where someone is suffering, there shouldn't be an imposed silence/denial.  It is okay for parents to talk to their kids and to each other)

- a 19-28 year old female nursing student who participated in the NIS program at Marquette University wrote that the program would be useful in high schools/colleges because "NORMAL presented health information in an entertaining way.  People need to see how EDs affect family & friends."

- a 14-18 year old male who participated in the program at Wauwatosa East High School wrote the 3 morals or lessons he learned from the NIS program were: (a) forgive others and yourself, (b) don't punish yourself for a small mistake, (c) be there for others

- a 14-18 year old female who participated in the NIS program at Wauwatosa East High School wrote the 3 morals or lessons she learned from the NIS program were: (a) never give up (b) eat right so you never fall off the track (c) believe in yourself.

- a 14-18 year old female who participated in the NIS program at Wauwatosa East High School who has never had an eating disorder and who didn't know anyone with an eating disorder wrote that her understanding about eating disorders shifted "extremely" after participating in the NIS program.  "They hurt more than just you and it's not because they only want to be skinny.  It's kind of compulsive."  The 3 lessons she learned from the program were (a) that ED's affect everyone around you, (b) that they can happen quickly and (c) it is okay to get help.

NOR?MAL IN OKLAHOMA FOR NEDAW!

Betsy Kennedy (who had participated in the NIS program at the NEDA conference in San Diego) ambitiously mounted a 15-minute version of NOR?MAL at the Laureate Eating Disorders Hospital and Clinic in Tulsa, OK as part of NEDAW.  Beth Persac (licensed therapist on the talkback panel) reported that 4 people spoke with the experts on the panel after the presentation to get more information about treatment for a friend or loved one.  Since the presentation was in a treatment center, audience members were particularly moved by the production.

NOR?MAL PERFORMANCES IN APRIL!

April 23, 2008 (FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL, WI)

April 25, 2008 (WI STATE PTA CONVENTION IN GREEN BAY, WI)
April 25, 2008 (ST. NORBERT COLLEGE, WI)

NORMAL In Schools presents

NOR•MAL

a family musical of hope and survival

developed by
jack cummings iii

NORMAL In Schools™ adaptation
developed by robyn hussa and eric r. Christiansen

Sponsored by Remuda Ranch, Rogers Memorial Hospital and TEAM NORMAL, the NIS company
presents the award-winning hip, rock 'n roll musical

Wednesday, April 23rd
Franklin High School
**OPEN TO THE PUBLIC**
Milwaukee, WI
7pm

Friday, April 25^th
KI Center, Green Bay
Wisconsin State PTA Conference

Friday, April 25^th
St. Norbert College
**OPEN TO THE PUBLIC**
De Pere, WI
7pm

Seating is first-come, first-served and is general admission. 
No tickets or reservations are needed. 
For more information visit the NIS website at www.normalinschools.org

Join TEAM NORMAL walkers and runners "Rockin' Our Way To Recovery" at Rock 'n Roll Virginia Beach 1/2/Marathon

August 31, 2008

Virginia Beach, Virginia

and help us bring the award-winning NIS program and curriculum to schools across America!

Achieve your goal of walking or running a ½ marathon WHILE supporting NIS!  With rock and roll bands at every mile, Rock 'n Roll ½ Marathon, Virginia Beach is not to be missed!

Please note: NORMAL In Schools and TEAM NORMAL™ does not promote long distance running or walking for individuals who are currently suffering from eating disorders.  This activity is recommended for those who are at a healthy, normal weight, are not dieting, and who have appropriately trained for this event.  NIS hopes to offer a RNR relay option in 2009 so that people in recovery can "Rock into Recovery" together.

Help us bring NIS to Green Bay in April, 2008?Get Involved today.