HOW LYNN'S LETTER CHANGED HER LIFE

A MESSAGE TO NEW IDEA HELPED THE LIVES OF EVERYDAY AUSSIES

- Courtney Greatrex

Forty years ago, a letter that was sent to New Idea helped change the lives of hundreds of Aussies suffering with a rare genetic condition.

In June 1981, Lynn Wilson (formerly McKinnon) sent a call-out to the magazine for families suffering with tuberous sclerosis – a genetic condition that causes tumours to grow on a person’s organs.

Lynn and her only child, daughter Tracey, were both diagnosed when very little information was readily available. Determined to help other families, Lynn wrote a letter to the editor of New Idea, Dulcie Boling, who published her plea.

She was soon inundated with responses, which helped launch her charity, Tuberous Sclerosis Australia. Now, the charity is celebrating its 40th year, and the impact it has had on families affected by the condition is immeasurable.

“It was just incredible to know we weren’t alone,” Lynn, now 69, tells New Idea. “I just feel so satisfied that the group was there to help all those families.”

Lynn recalls how it was only after her daughter Tracey was born in September 1971 that she suspected there was something amiss. She noticed that Tracey’s development appeared delayed, despite her relatives and neighbours disagreeing with her.