May 08 2024
Wake Up Narcolepsy 2024 National Summit Recap
h in News
The Wake Up Narcolepsy (WUN) 2024 National Summit took place on April 27th, at the Seattle Marriott Redmond near Seattle, Washington!
Photography: Ludeman Photographic
Left: In-Person Attendees at the 2024 National Summit
Right: WUN Board Members and Co-Founders with Keynote Speaker Dr. Mignot and his dog Watson in front of a WUN backdrop
The event was a tremendous success with an amazing turnout both in-person and virtually! Attendees, speakers, sponsors & staff were able to connect with each other, learn about important topics in the community and share experiences!
The presentations and panels were all recorded except the support groups, and can be found on the Wake Up Narcolepsy YouTube channel or here.
Just like last year, we had our reception the night before the main event. At the Friday Night Reception, attendees enjoyed a variety of conversations, engaging with different groups of people and sharing excitement for the next day. It was heartwarming to see people who had previously only connected online now meeting each other in-person!
On Saturday, the summit began around 7:45 with breakfast to fuel up for a full day of presentations! Monica Gow, Co-Founder and Executive Director for Wake Up Narcolepsy, gave a brief introduction and reminded everyone about our Teen Room and Nap Room options that would be open throughout the day. The Teen Room throughout the day had a livestream of the sessions, art projects, game options and snow cones!
Our first presentation was from our keynote speaker, Emmanuel Mignot, MD, PhD, speaking on “Waking Up to Orexin.” Dr. Mignot and Watson, Mignot’s own dog with Narcolepsy, took the stage to start with a demonstration of cataplexy in dogs! Just as PWN stands for person with Narcolepsy, Dr. Mignot referred to Watson as a DWN (dog with Narcolepsy).
Tammy Anderson, WUN Assistant Director, then took the stage to introduce the People with Narcolepsy Perspectives Panel, moderated by Nicole Jeray and featuring Katy Scruton, Brian Mahn, Stephanie Manuli and Tre Burge!
Photography: Ludeman Photographic
Left: Dr. Mignot, Summit Keynote Speaker & Watson, his dog with Narcolepsy
Right: Tammy Anderson, Wake Up Narcolepsy Assistant Director, with Person with Narcolepsy Perspective Panel: Nicole Jeray, Katy Scruton, Brian Mahn, Stephanie Manuli and Tre Burge
After a short lunch break, we returned with our two featured speakers: Michael Grandner, PhD, MTR, CBSM, FAASM, on “Managing Your Mental Health,” and Anne Marie Morse, DO, on “Advocating For Yourself.” Following the two presentations, we had our Sleep Inequities & Inclusion Panel moderated by Dr. Grandner, featuring Tony Bennae Richard and Tatiana Corbitt. We took a moment after these presentations to recognize our volunteers that were in attendance and provide information for those looking to get involved! Attendees learned about building local communities, hearing from board members Anne & Prasanna Samarawickrama about what they’ve done in Seattle!
Photography: Ludeman Photographic
Left: Dr. Grandner presenting on stage
Right: Dr. Morse presenting on stage
Photography: Ludeman Photographic
Left: Sleep Inequities & Inclusion Panel: Dr. Grandner, Tony Bennae Richard and Tatiana Corbitt
Right: WUN volunteers with their certificates of recognition
We then had the final part of our recorded sessions with breakout options: “What to Know About Narcolepsy,” featuring Nicole Jeray and Dr. Mignot, and “Navigating Parenting and Family Life with Narcolepsy” moderated by Dr. Morse, featuring Emily Robinson, Timothy Stroud and Elisa Wirkala.
Photography: Ludeman Photographic
Left: What to Know About Narcolepsy Breakout Session: Nicole Jeray & Dr. Mignot
Right: Navigating Parenting & Family Life with Narcolepsy Breakout Session: Dr. Morse, Emily Robinson, Timothy Stroud and Elisa Wirkala
The event was concluded with support group sessions, dividing into rooms for a people with Narcolepsy/Idiopathic Hypersomnia led by Nicole Jeray, loved ones led by Anne Samarawickrama & Tony Bennae Richard and teens led by Hero Anderson.
If you’d like to see more from the event, visit our Tik Tok and YouTube for videos of the day!
Thank You to our Sponsors!
Diamond Sponsors – Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Gold Sponsors – Avadel Pharmaceuticals
Silver Sponsors – Harmony Biosciences
Program Sponsors – Axsome Therapeutics, Takeda, Alkermes, Zevra Therapeutics, Centessa Pharmaceuticals
Thank you also to:
All of our amazing volunteers, speakers and board members, Alli Trost from Events by Alli C, our photographers from Ludeman Photographic and the Seattle Marriott Redmond for hosting us!
SAVE THE DATE for the 2025 Wake Up Narcolepsy National Summit on April 26th, 2025 near Raleigh, North Carolina!