Tourette Syndrom is an often misunderstood neurological condition. Matthew Eskenazi wants to help change that.
The Brewster 13-year-old has been accepted into the Youth Ambassador training program run each year by the national Tourette Syndrome Association. He's one of the youngest, too—the program is for teens (with and without TS) aged 13-17.
“I applied to become a Youth Ambassador because I was inspired by a Youth Ambassador who came to my fourth-grade class to speak about Tourette Syndrome," Matthew said. "I want to teach others about TS and hope that by telling my story I can help other kids with TS and show them that having Tourette’s can be a positive experience.”
Matthew will be accompanied by his father, Randy Eskenazi, who will also participate in the training.
Once the training is done, Matthew will become part of an elite group of teens who go into classrooms, schools and clubs to teach understanding, sensitivity and tolerance of TS and its symptoms, which include involuntary vocal sounds and physical movements called tics. Since 2008 the association has trained almost 200 of them.
TS Youth Ambassadors also advocate for themselves and others and assist with public awareness and fundraising campaigns.
Jennifer Zwilling, now 23, program founder said in a press release, “The goal of this exciting program is to educate children all over the country about TS, a widely misunderstood disorder. We are following the motto ‘think globally, act locally’.”
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