The First Video - on VHS!

In March of 2003, Caroline Weller, RN, National Director of Education of the Scleroderma Foundation called and asked Kathy to make the video they had discussed in 2002 with a grant from the The Scleroderma Foundation's Texas Bluebonnet Chapter. 

Once again, the answer was "YES!"

Kathy contacted Marcia O’Malley to be the video producer and director. Once Marcia was on board and they new their budget, Kathy and Marcia began recruiting the staff and getting bids. Participants working on the project agreed to not to exceed their estimates, so that, even if time or costs went over the original estimate, the payment was capped and the budget was guaranteed. In addition, because of the nature of the program, everyone offered discounts, while continuing to produce the highest quality work. 

And the video was recorded ...

Given the limited time, Kathy needed to prioritize the presentation to address the most common symptoms in order to serve the needs of the most students, and to provide relief for the symptoms that cause the most distress.

To present the program at different levels of mobility, support and assistance, Kathy chose to present a group class, consisting of herself as the most mobile, Cindy Nolen, who did much of the program in a chair, and Angie Helton, who worked on an inclined plane. 

Kathy worked with Angie privately several time a week in the months preceding the taping, and she also attended one of Kathy's weekly group classes. Her experience and assistance were a large part of the revisions that were made from the original program presented at The Scleroderma National Conference to what was demonstrated in the original VHS release.

Cindy did yoga for the first time in the run-through the day before taping, and the video is her second yoga class. Kathy wanted people watching the video to feel that they could do it, even if they had never done yoga before, and Cindy’s enthusiasm and willingness made that happen.

Through everyone's combined efforts and generosity, 250 copies of the video were produced. Remember, actual physical, VHS tapes. This allowed for 170 copies to be given free to every chapter and support group in the United States and Puerto Rico. The remaining VHS tapes were to be sold, exclusively by The Scleroderma Foundation, jump starting the self perpetuating inventory, and making the program permanent. Out of the sale price of each tape, the Foundation was able to replace the video in inventory, ordering them in lots of 200, and use any remaining funds as a fund-raiser.

Patient testimonials after using the video have been positive:

     “Thank you so much for making this tape. It is the first exercise I have been able to do with    success since my diagnosis 5 years ago.” ~ Survey Respondent

     “The foresight of the Foundation to make this video exclusively for scleroderma patients is wonderful. It has improved my health, both physically and mentally. THANK YOU!!! “ ~ Cindy Nolan

As times have changed and technology has advanced, the video was later produced and distributed via DVD and can now be found online for FREE!

This practice and program have continued to grow and expand over time. Now it’s used worldwide.