Two Support Organizations

The story of two great folk music bands in the United States (an analogy)

(If you are not a fan of analogies, please substitute FSIG band with Fabry Support & Information Group, NFDF band with National Fabry Disease Foundation, folk music with Fabry disease, folk music community with Fabry community, songs with programs and services, sing a song with give a presentation, concerts with meetings, etc. and our message should become more clear.)

Once Upon a time there was a songwriter and singer who really wanted to share his music with people interested in folk music. He was a huge fan another well-known folk music band called FSIG who brought a great deal of satisfaction and joy to the folk music community. Everyone in the community who knew about the FSIG band played their songs, and attended their concerts. FSIG’s logo and image were well known. The FSIG band was very successful and appreciated.

The new songwriter and singer wanted to share his music with the folk music community because he thought they would like it also. He thought about asking to join the well-known FSIG band but his music was a little different and he did not want to ask the FSIG band to change to fit his new style. FSIG had great songs just as they were! Also, because the new songwriter and singer lived in a different city than the FSIG band and he thought they could probably write good songs together sometimes but working together on a daily basis and especially practicing together would be hard far apart.

So, the new songwriter/singer started a new band that would complement the FSIG band. He named the new folk band NFDF. The NFDF band wrote new songs and shared them with the community. Some songs were similar to FSIG’s songs and some were different. NFDF had their own songs, concerts, logo, and other stuff. It was okay to have two bands. So many people needed folk music songs.

At first a few people got a little confused about whose songs they were listening to but it didn’t take long for people to know the difference between the two bands and to appreciate that there are two great bands offering songs that everyone can enjoy. The two bands complimented each other.

Now, many years later, it continues to be great for the folk music community to have a diverse set of songs to enjoy from both bands. The folk music community has access to both bands’ songs all the time. Sometimes the NFDF band will collaborate with the FSIG band to write and share a new song with the community. Sometimes they will sing a song at each other’s concerts. And sometimes they may have a concert together. People in the community can enjoy all the available songs from these two primary folk music bands and they can also enjoy some songs from other bands who sometimes contribute to folk music.

When the folk music community listens to NFDF songs, the NFDF always tells people “If you like NFDF songs, you will like FSIG songs also”. Please contact them! Enjoy all the songs available to you!

The morale of the story (without the analogy) … The Fabry community is very fortunate to have two great complimentary organizations with similar broad goals and a very diverse set of valuable programs and services to provide support and assistance to our community.

Sincerely, Jerry Walter, Founder and President, National Fabry Disease Foundation (NFDF)