image: Remy smiles in her daddy's arms. view more
Credit: Jina and Garrett Maloney
San Diego, CA - The NEC Society and Cincinnati Children’s have teamed up to present the NEC Symposium, the only conference in North America dedicated to understanding and preventing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). NEC is a devastating intestinal disease that affects medically fragile infants in their first weeks and months of life. Every year in the United States, thousands of babies are diagnosed with NEC and at least one baby dies from NEC every day. The NEC Symposium will transform the NEC Research Priorities into actionable, impactful projects to better understand, prevent, and treat NEC.
The NEC Society was founded by Jennifer Canvasser (Davis, CA) after her son Micah died from the disease just before his first birthday. Jennifer has brought together families from around the globe, including San Diego parents, Jina and Garrett Maloney, whose daughter, Remy was born in February and tragically passed away in April from necrotizing enterocolitis. Jina shares, “Remy was our miracle baby, and our hearts are forever broken without her in our arms. I work in healthcare, and I knew Remy was at risk of NEC. During her time in the NICU, I expressed my concerns and raised questions, but too often we felt disregarded, and that adds to our heartache. To honor Remy and keep her light in our lives, my family and I are committed to helping the NEC Society build a world without this devastating disease. It is comforting to know the NEC Symposium is taking place here in San Diego because I know the meeting will help improve outcomes for babies and families like mine.”
The NEC Society is led by families personally affected by NEC, working in partnership with renowned clinicians and researchers from around the globe. The team has built an exciting agenda with three learning tracks and more than 60 faculty members, including a keynote from Mark Del Monte, JD, the CEO/Executive Vice President of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Mark’s address will focus on the power of advocacy by families and clinicians to advance the mission of the NEC Society.
The NEC Symposium will be held at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, August 28 – 30, 2023. The conference will draw stakeholders from nearly all 50 US states as well as Australia, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
The NEC Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and global leader dedicated to building a world without NEC. The NEC Society brings together diverse stakeholders to advance NEC research, education, and advocacy. You can learn more and register for the NEC Symposium at NECsociety.org