original story from the Belleville Patch by Brian Falzarano (Belleville, NJ)
On Jan. 13, Belleville Middle School welcomed back a former teacher who educated students about Rett Syndrome, a severe neurological disorder.
Linda Albanese visited Sarah O'Farrell's eighth-grade honors science class to tell pupils about her granddaughter, Michelle, who suffers from the disorder that affects mostly girls and leads to developmental reversals -- specifically in terms of expressive language and hand use. Albanese, who also taught at Belleville High School, shared recent studies that could benefit her granddaughter and discussed genetic engineering as a possible solution.
This tied in with the students' recent completion of a Project Based Learning activity on genetic disorders designed to increase awareness and understanding of how they affect others.
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What a great visit! Linda Albanese is one special grandmother! You can "meet" her granddaughter Michelle on our GP2C Girls' Page. Linda always has something going on: classroom awareness, fundraising, putting out collection jars, speaking engagements. She is one of our star supporters and advocates for Rett Syndrome awareness. Thank you for all that you do Linda!