Monday, January 16, 2017

This Years Keynote Speaker!



Keynote Speaker ‘The Love Chromosome”  :  Julie and Derrick Tennant are a dynamic brother and sister duo.  They travel the globe bringing smiles, motivating, and sharing their message of Loving Wastefully.  Oh, and they will likely make you laugh too.  Derrick considers Julie not only his sister but his best friend and hero as well. “Nothing in my life makes me more proud than getting to be ‘Julie’s brother’,” he says.

Julie has Down Syndrome, a condition caused by an "extra" chromosome.  Her grampa said it wasn't extra, but everyone else is MISSING it.  He called it The LOVE Chromosome.
​We think you'll agree that Julie is a very wise and insightful person. Julie's Love Chromosome is something she would like to share. "I wish everybody could have one", she says.  As you get to know Julie, you will see countless ways this love chromosome affects those around her. 

Derrick, a gifted athlete, was progressing in his dream of a career in sports when one evening, he laid down but did not wake up for three days.

He had undergone what doctors would later term random bleeding from point x for an unknown reason.  Paralyzed and in a coma, Derrick underwent brain surgery, from which he became unable to move his left side. It would take years of therapy to re-learn the basics like walking, talking, and simple daily tasks. Derrick is still unable to use his left arm, and he walks with a limp, but he has learned a lot through this process.

Derrick credits one thing for his ability to make it through this process not only alive, but also learning and growing:  LOVE.  Receiving love from his family, his friends, and God, combined with learning to better demonstrate love in the midst of difficulty, were essential to Derricks's survival and vitality.


Derrick now travels the world sharing his story and encouraging others to use obstacles as opportunities.  He is an internationally known stand-up comic and motivational speaker, and he even does some one-armed MAGIC shows.  Everything Derrick owns fits in one suitcase, and he has no house or apartment.  Live simply, love wastefully he says.



 







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