4/17/04

Dear Friends,

  It is with a sad heart that I mention this terrible news.  Sue Thompson, who has given so much to the NLD community, recently passed away.  I will remember Sue Thompson for her wonderful book, "The Source for Nonverbal Learning Disorders", which was the first  book that I read where I could truly understand my  learning disability, for the kind e-mail she sent me  asking me to attend my first NLDA, formerly Share  Support, West Coast Symposium 6 years ago, for
providing me with encouragement and support, for the wonderful work she did in educating people about NLD in her presentations, and for the wonderful comments and support she provided when I showed her Debbie  Green's book "Growing Up With NLD".  Sue will always
be remembered by me.  She will always be a special person to me, and I wish that I could have thanked her  personally for bringing me into the NLD community. 

    I do not know if she realized the impact that she had on my life.  Without Sue Thompson, I might not have been a part of this NLD community, which I view as my  second family.  I was diagnosed with NLD in 1997,  and had no idea what this diagnosis even meant despite
completing the academic curriculum for a speech pathology master's degree.  I typed "nonverbal  learning disability" into the yahoo search engine,  and  came across Tara Kirk's website.  Tara is a  beautiful NLD adult.  I then went to the guest book to thank  Tara
for her website, and I saw Sue Thompson's e-mail  address.  I had just finished reading Sue's book at  the time.  I wrote Sue to ask her questions about  NLD,  and she wrote back to me inviting me to come to a  one day conference at the Children's Hospital in Oakland
California and be on the NLD adult panel.  I decided  to fly to the conference from New Jersey, and I met  so  many wonderful people there, including Judy Lewis and others, who changed my life for the better, and  without this terrific community my life would not be  the same.  This conference 6 years ago was a life changing event for me. 

    I just want to thank Sue  Thompson and pay tribute to her for being such a special person in our community, and I just know  that she is in heaven for all the wonderful work she did  here on earth.  Best wishes to all my friends who are  out there in the NLD community, and thank you too  for  being a part of my life as well. 

                                        Al   

Written to the NLD In Common listserv group and published on NLDline with permission from Al Vadon (vadons@yahoo.com)