{"id":4169,"date":"2015-01-13T13:30:38","date_gmt":"2015-01-13T18:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/tsparents\/?p=4169"},"modified":"2015-01-13T13:30:38","modified_gmt":"2015-01-13T18:30:38","slug":"our-connection-with-tim-howard-njcts-in-print","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/tsparents\/our-connection-with-tim-howard-njcts-in-print\/","title":{"rendered":"Our connection with Tim Howard & NJCTS … in print!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi everyone! Some of you may have seen this article on CentralJersey.com last week<\/strong><\/a> that talked about “a mother’s\u00a0connection between her children and a soccer legend.” I just wanted to share with you the e-mail I sent the reporter that led to the wonderful story. I hope you enjoy it!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"PHOTO<\/a>

PHOTO BY PAM HERSH\/Leslie Kowalski proudly shares a copy of the book, “The Keeper: The Unguarded Story of Tim Howard,” about the soccer legend\u2019s life with Tourette Syndrome.<\/p><\/div>\n

I know you saw me in the emotional place of just having seen my children beautifully described in a national book, but bringing it home and quietly having the time to read Tim Howard’s book has been a very rewarding experience.\u00a0 Of course it’s a story of his life in the world soccer stage, but I know that very close to his heart is Tourette\/OCD advocacy.<\/p>\n

He describes extremely well what it feels like to have tics, sensory issues and compulsions — something that so few people understand.\u00a0 He also describes his own evolution as a TS advocate and wanting to keep that cause central to his work and how that advocacy grounds him.<\/p>\n

It started with contacting the amazing and wonderful Faith Rice (the director of the NJCTS<\/strong><\/a>) many years ago, and continued with winning a $50,000 Pepsico grant to support programs for kids with TS (which has ultimately led to the development of the unique and extraordinary Tim Howard Academy —\u00a0http:\/\/www.mycentraljersey.com\/story\/news\/local\/outreach\/caring-communities\/2014\/07\/17\/us-goalie-tim-howard-gives-face-tourette-syndrome\/12795993\/\u00a0<\/strong><\/a> and\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/news.rutgers.edu\/feature\/world-cup-superstar-tim-howard-inspires-tourette-syndrome-program-making-debut-rutgers\/20140720#.VI7ITNxb474<\/strong>)<\/a>, and also joining the NJCTS board of directors so that he can help very directly.<\/p>\n

It’s been 3 years since our trip to the UK to meet Tim Howard.\u00a0 Today, Tess is 15, and is homeschooled; Paige is 11 and attending public school and is thriving.\u00a0 In many ways our trip to meet Tim Howard (and his mom, who is lovely, too) still looms large in our lives.<\/p>\n

Meeting them set off a confidence in both of my girls (in all of us really) that has carried through to this day. My husband Tim has become a board member for NJCTS and our family as a whole is very involved with the organization.\u00a0 We attend family weekends at Camp Bernie every year, and the walks in Mendham and Princeton (see more about that below!).<\/p>\n

We have also benefitted from the unique family program at the Rutgers graduate psychology program (GSAPP) which is very closely linked with NJCTS, as well as from smaller meet-ups with friends that we have made, support groups, and much much more.\u00a0 We have witnessed many other families receive support as well, and many other children in the state becoming advocates in their communities.<\/p>\n

The scarf that you heard about was a joy to make for Tim Howard.\u00a0 I love to knit and after meeting him we came upon a quaint British yarn shop, with lovely soft wool.\u00a0 I knew in that moment what I could do to thank him for our visit.\u00a0 Something unique that carried the warmth and admiration that we felt for him.<\/p>\n

The idea for the raffle that we had won came from Tim and Faith, and it could not have more evident how important being a TS advocate\/role model is to Tim (Tim Howard, not my Tim!).\u00a0\u00a0 He was warm and engaging, easy to talk to, full of respect for anyone he deals with, and was particularly friendly\/encouraging with Tess and Paige.\u00a0 It was also sweet to watch his relationship with his mom — warm, funny and very very connected.<\/p>\n

He is a grounded thoughtful person with a great mom to thank for it!\u00a0 We enjoyed spending more time with Tim and his mom the next day (we sat with her at the game and then met Tim (and some other players) after the game) and even though he is a very busy man, he treated us as if he had all the time in the world.<\/p>\n

To read in his book about that visit was incredible because it only reinforced for us just how important those two days were in our lives.\u00a0 It’s a treasured memory coming to life in a new way!<\/p>\n

After the trip events:<\/p>\n