2023: Overpelt, Belgium

Hosted by Linda van de Sande, Dylan, and Bjorn Leynen

WAGR Weekend 2023 Belgium was attended by 18 families from 11 countries. Linda van de Sande and her team of supporters and volunteers welcomed IWSA families to the beautiful Belgian countryside for a weekend of family fun, educational opportunities, and fellowship.

Families enjoyed spending time at the Hotel de Watermolen, where there was a great playground for the kids, patio dining and visiting, and the venue for Friday evening’s dinner, Mom’s Night Out activities, and a delicious Saturday evening barbecue. A special treat Saturday evening was live musical entertainment performed by the Ermens Family from Belgium.

The Saturday Family Meeting was held in person as well as on Zoom, and included presentations:

• Welcome by Linda van de Sande and John Morris, IWSA Board Member/European Representative; IWSA Board Chairperson
• IWSA Organization Update by Shari Krantz, IWSA Executive Director
• WAGR Syndrome Research update by Kelly Trout, IWSA Director of Research & Medical Advocacy
• Aniridia Europe Overview by Elena Tsoneva, Aniridia Europe Secretary
• “How to Balance work-life-care for your child” by Noor Seghers, University of Leuven
• “Challenging Behavior” by Maite Van Den Bosche, Atlass (multidisciplinary center)

Additional information on the conference, incuding access to conference recordings, can be found here