The Power of Art: Alex LeBoeuf's Creative Impact on the Myotonic Dystrophy Community

In this episode of 'Art Heals All Wounds,' I share a personal story about my daughter's diagnosis with myotonic dystrophy. How I wished to meet someone like today’s guest! Alexandra LeBoeuf, a young Canadian artist and myotonic dystrophy advocate, discusses how her artwork and personal experiences have helped create a support network and raise funds for research. Alex's story illustrates the impact of art in connecting individuals with shared experiences, particularly through her creation of a logo symbolizing strength for the myotonic dystrophy community. Together, Alex and I explore themes of resilience, creativity, and the importance of community support for those living with myotonic dystrophy or other rare diseases.

00:00 Introduction to Art Heals All Wounds

00:46 A Personal Journey with Myotonic Dystrophy

02:12 Spotlight on Alexandra LeBoeuf: Art, Advocacy, and Myotonic Dystrophy

02:58 The Power of Community and Creativity

04:34 Alex's Creative Journey and Impact

11:20 Exploring the Therapeutic Role of Art and Music

20:36 Building Connections Through Creativity

30:03 The Importance of Support Groups and Advocacy

31:30 Conclusion and Thanks

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Pam Uzzell: Do you believe art can change the world? So do I. On this show, we meet artists whose work is doing just that. Welcome to Art Heals All Wounds. I'm your host, Pam Uzzell.

[00:00:46] One day, when my daughter was at a routine visit with her pediatrician, the pediatrician said, You know, since I've been treating your daughter, I've had a nagging suspicion that something's going on with her. I think you need to start seeing specialists. I agreed to see the doctor she suggested, but I thought there's nothing wrong with her.

[00:01:11] How can there be? She's perfect. Four specialists later, we found ourselves at a muscular dystrophy clinic. As soon as the doctor walked into the examination room, he looked at Allegra. looked at me and said, we'll do testing to confirm, but I feel certain she has myotonic dystrophy. And so do you. Allegra was two.

[00:01:36] This was before social media, before the internet was even a thing in my life. It felt like Allegra and I were on an iceberg that had broken off from the mainland and was quickly drifting away from all the other people in my life. I desperately needed some kind of lifeline to other people in my situation.

[00:02:03] I'm so happy to share this interview with today's guest, who creates these kind of lifelines for others living with myotonic dystrophy. Alexandra LeBoeuf who goes by Alex, is a young artist living in Canada who's used her artwork and creative ideas to build awareness around myotonic dystrophy, as well as fundraise for research for a cure.

[00:02:29] Along with her mother, Julie, they created a nationwide Canadian support group for families with this disease. When Alex was diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy as a child, she said to her mom, I want to meet somebody like me. I've learned so much from Alex and her family about the importance of community in helping to live with this disease.

[00:02:58] The first myotonic dystrophy conference Allegra and I attended featured this incredibly cool logo. This logo was a drawing of a raised fist clenching a green ribbon. That fist has a double meaning for folks with myotonic dystrophy. Being unable to release a clenched fist is a really common symptom. But the strength emanating from that fist in the drawing was unmistakable.

[00:03:29] Facing the challenges of myotonic dystrophy isn't for the faint of heart. Alex LeBoeuf, the artist on today's episode, drew the design for this logo. In the myotonic dystrophy community, we call the adults who've been living with this disease since childhood, warriors. And when these warriors get together, they don't sit around just talking about their disease.

[00:03:55] They're able to share their whole selves, what music they like, their favorite books, movies, and things they like to do, with other people who get it. Alex is definitely a warrior, and so much more. An advocate, ambassador, and an artist. Artist.

[00:04:34] Hi Alex, I am so glad that you agreed to come on the show today. Can you start just by telling people your name and some of the creative things that you do? 

[00:04:44] Alexandra LeBoeuf: Hi, my name is Alexandra LeBoeuf. I am 23 years old, and I do, I do a lot of art in general, considering everything. And I, I draw, I dance, [00:05:00] I play music. And it's really helped me out emotionally and physically.

[00:05:05] Pam Uzzell: Yes. Well, we're going to talk about that, but I just want to share with people how I met you. I met you and your mom at the myotonic dystrophy conference two years ago. And at this conference, they were displaying everywhere this logo that they had. And it was really cool. And I found out, I think you told me, I don't know if you, maybe your mom, but I think you told me that you drew that.

[00:05:33] And I'm wondering if you can describe what this logo looked like. What was it? 

[00:05:40] Alexandra LeBoeuf: This logo is actually one of three designs that I made that was submitted by different people just to try to get a bigger shot getting it chosen, I guess. So obviously we have the hand that's in a fist. It kind of looks like the same fist as Black Lives Matter, but it's, it's not, it's just a normal one that's a little more realistic.

[00:06:03] And it represents the first symptom that I ever had. That I remember having, which was my hand started to stiffen up and locked and I couldn't move them. That and also the fist is a symbol of strength. And then I had a green ribbon circling it, which as we know, green is a symbol for muscular dystrophy.

[00:06:25] And myotonic dystrophy, I'm not sure if it's different colors for other kinds of muscular dystrophy, I'm not sure, but it's green. And then I have a little heart on the wrist, which I actually got a tattoo of. And that's just love and community, what it represents. And I recently learned that the spot on your wrist, where I have my tattoo and where I put the heart, is a, it's like a kind of, community related spot when you think of chakras and stuff like that.

[00:06:54] Pam Uzzell: Oh, wow. 

[00:06:55] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I think so. My mom mentioned it. 

[00:06:58] Pam Uzzell: Well, that is really interesting. I just remember, yeah, this, this raised fist. In my memory, it was actually also holding the ribbon, but was it not? 

[00:07:09] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I think so. I think it was holding the ribbon. 

[00:07:12] Pam Uzzell: Yeah. So it was holding part of this green ribbon and it is such a double meaning for those of us with myotonic dystrophy in that one of the symptoms that many people have is that you can't unclench your fist really quickly.

[00:07:27] Sometimes it kind of gets frozen. 

[00:07:29] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I call it my hands getting locked. 

[00:07:31] Pam Uzzell: Your hands getting locked. Yeah. It's come to mean this symbol of strength as well. And I think that that is such a great way to sum up people who have myotonic dystrophy because there are so many different symptoms of varying degrees, but people are so valiant and resilient in terms of dealing with this.

[00:07:56] And I love that you included the idea of community, because that's also a really important part of having a rare disease. 

[00:08:06] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I agree, super important. When I first got diagnosed, I think the first thing I asked my mom was if I could meet anybody that was like me. That was my only request when I got diagnosed.

[00:08:19] was I wanted to meet somebody like me. 

[00:08:21] Pam Uzzell: That makes me cry because I have it with very mild symptoms, but Allegra, who, you know, my daughter, who's also been on the podcast has it with much more severe symptoms. And I really, really didn't care about myself so much as I wanted her to be able to meet other young people.

[00:08:45] I mean, she was diagnosed as a child. She never met anyone as a child, but then or as a teenager. But then finally, by going to these myotonic dystrophy events, she was able to meet you and so many other people. And that really helped her. In many ways. I'm wondering, do you have a similar story? I know that, I know that there are other people in your family who have this disease as well, but I'm wondering for you what it was like when you first met a group of peers who had the same disease.

[00:09:20] Alexandra LeBoeuf: So most of my family has it. So, on my dad's side, all of my aunts and uncle have it. Like, my dad and all his siblings have it. So three out of three, my only cousin has it, and me, my dad, and my brother have it. So my mom and my sister are the only two that are unaffected. I was really surrounded by it, but this was my family.

[00:09:39] This was just who they were. It wasn't the same as meeting somebody that has the same thing. And the first person I met was at the Muscular Dystrophy Canada Walk in North Bay. We have a walk for muscular dystrophy as a whole. So it's all of the many, many, many, many [00:10:00] different kinds of muscular dystrophy.

[00:10:02] And I met someone that doesn't have the same kind, but she does have similar symptoms. It's just not the same kind of muscular dystrophy. Her name was Jaylee. And every time we go to Ottawa, I visit her. We became really close friends. I was a bridemaid at her wedding. So she was the first person I met that was, like me and then when I went to the conference and I met people that had the same kind as me it was like We all look the same! Like my mom she calls us smurfs because we all kind of we all kind of look the same and we call all kind of act the same and it was like when you go to a space like that.

[00:10:43] You don't talk about myotonic dystrophy. It's just like talking to a best friend you haven't seen in years. 

[00:10:49] Pam Uzzell: Yeah. 

[00:10:50] Alexandra LeBoeuf: It was awesome 

[00:10:51] Pam Uzzell: And my favorite part is always the dance at the end. So the group that you're involved in, which for short is called JOAs, which is juvenile onset adults. You guys pretty much take over that dance and the rest of us just try to keep up.

[00:11:09] And it's so fun to be a part of that. I love it. I'm. Now, I can't wait for the next one. So, but we're going to talk about all the other creative things you do. So you draw, what other creative things do you do? 

[00:11:24] Alexandra LeBoeuf: Other than drawing and painting and all the visual art stuff, I was a competitive dancer from the age of 10, I believe it goes to, I was in the fifth grade.

[00:11:35] So Between 8 and 10. I did that and I also took some ukulele lessons and piano lessons when I was really young. So I started off with piano lessons and voice lessons and then I moved on to ukulele as the year went, went by. We also ran out of the piano. So, our piano at home was not very good, so. We kind of left that.

[00:12:02] Pam Uzzell: That's interesting. I think that just in learning more about you, it seems like music, I mean, obviously drawing is big for you, but it seems like music is also really important to you. And so just talking about the ukulele, what are some of the things that you've gotten out of learning to play an instrument like that?

[00:12:25] Alexandra LeBoeuf: Well, My mom's side is a very musical family. Like, my pepere played the accordion. One of my uncles plays the guitar, the other the violin. So, I have a very musical family on my mom's side of the family. So, which is probably where I get it and where my sister gets it. She likes to play the piano, and we both sing a little.

[00:12:49] So, I really wanted to do ukulele just because it was something that I enjoyed and I was able to use it in my vocals class at school. And I was able to play for my family when I felt like it. Or when it was, usually when it was a birthday, I would learn one of their favorite songs, and that was a birthday gift.

[00:13:12] And I realized that as I was playing it, my hands would get sore, but they would get stronger too. I realized that if I keep doing this, this is beneficial not only for me, but for my hands and my muscles, like that this could help. So it kind of made me almost like encouraged to learn more songs and play more.

[00:13:35] Pam Uzzell: Right. And I think that that's something that You know, if you don't have this disease, you know, thinking about the ways that using your hands, whether it's playing an instrument or drawing can really help you to strengthen your hands. And then what about singing? You say you sing a little bit, but I suspect you sing more than that.

[00:13:58] Alexandra LeBoeuf: Well, it depends if I'm alone in my car or I'm actually in a house with people. 

[00:14:03] Pam Uzzell: Well, let's, let's talk about when you're alone. Do you sing a lot more? When you're alone. 

[00:14:08] Alexandra LeBoeuf: Yes, I do sing more when I'm alone, mostly because no one can hear me. So it's not as embarrassing, I guess. I guess it helps with the stress relieving more than anything else.

[00:14:21] I'm assuming, I'm not entirely sure, but it does help a little bit with the pronunciation of some words, because I know that as my symptoms progress the ability to talk will be, get harder. I've seen a speech therapist, uh, before. So, she helps me a little more with some words that I had a, had a harder time saying.

[00:14:44] So, maybe singing helps, maybe it doesn't. I don't really know. I'll keep doing it. 

[00:14:50] Pam Uzzell: Well, there's so many reasons to sing regardless, but Allegra also used to see a speech therapist and then at a certain point she started [00:15:00] singing and doing other things and it, a lot of the people who worked with her decided, you know what, let her keep doing that.

[00:15:07] That is a form of therapy and you're so right about pronouncing things, but I also feel for myself I sing a lot. And it changes my mood. Do you ever find that? 

[00:15:20] Alexandra LeBoeuf: Yeah, it does. Depends on what I'm listening to, though. I have some songs that are quite depressing, and then I have others that are really, like, upbeat and happy.

[00:15:29] But it does help my mood. 

[00:15:31] Pam Uzzell: But even if you sing a depressing song, isn't there something about singing along that's kind of like a release in a way? I don't know. 

[00:15:41] Alexandra LeBoeuf: Yeah. The, like a stress relieving kind of thing, or even I'm just like in a bad mood or I'm just not feeling it that day. Just getting in my car and going to school and singing something, I usually get to class in a happier mood than when I left home.

[00:15:56] Pam Uzzell: Yeah, it's so interesting. You sent me little notes in preparation for us talking. And when you talked about singing as a way to work with anxiety, and I started thinking about that for myself as well. Like why? Cause if I'm here, especially by myself, I sing almost all day and I don't feel for the most part, very much anxiety.

[00:16:22] And I wonder about the connection between those two if it's a long habit to sing a lot and then that reduces anxiety 

[00:16:33] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I'm not sure. I just knew that sometimes if I'm anxious or something I'll start humming a tune or I'll put in my AirPods and I'll put some music on and I'll sing along or something and usually that gets me out of the fight or flight mode. It used to happen a lot more when I was younger.

[00:16:55] I'm better at handling my anxiety now, but when I was younger, one of the things I would do to try to get out of the flight or fight would, I would hum something or I'd put my air pods in and blast the music and just try to get out of that cycle. 

[00:17:12] Pam Uzzell: The other thing I know that you guys did that I want to ask you about, cause I didn't know about this.

[00:17:18] Did you say that you had a paint night? 

[00:17:21] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I did.

[00:17:22] Pam Uzzell: Can you tell, what is that?

[00:17:25] Alexandra LeBoeuf: So this was back in 2021, maybe the first one we ever had was because I was made the ambassador for the muscular dystrophy walk, I was made the ambassador for that year. So one of the jobs was I need to do fundraising. And then I was like, well, I don't want to just stand and collect funds like a grocery store or something like that wasn't something that interests me.

[00:17:51] So I decided, well, why don't we make a paint night? So we rented, before we made it virtual, we rented a little area. We had our table set out. We made homemade little stands with pizza boxes for the canvases. And we had a local artist come in. And she kind of like, taught us ish. How to make a painting. So the first one we did was like a landscape.

[00:18:17] Kind of like Bob Ross style. And it was all stuff that was very easy to do. So it wasn't like, you don't need to be good at painting to do that. So we had her paint in. It was kind of like a paint and wine night. So if you were old enough, you had a glass of wine while painting. And if not, we just had other drinks for the younger kids.

[00:18:35] Who, we're not 19 yet. 

[00:18:39] Pam Uzzell: Oh, we should, we should, you're in Canada, so you have a different drinking age. 

[00:18:43] Alexandra LeBoeuf: 19, unless you want to take a road trip, then it's 18 in Quebec.

[00:18:50] Pam Uzzell: The other thing I should mention, because I think it's really cool, is that you are a bilingual. 

[00:18:55] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I am. 

[00:18:56] Pam Uzzell: Did you say pepere? 

[00:18:57] Alexandra LeBoeuf: Yes. My, on my mom's side, uh, it's 

[00:19:00] Pam Uzzell: That's your grandfather. Is that grandfather, the word for grandfather? 

[00:19:03] Alexandra LeBoeuf: Yes. pepere is the word for grandfather. Oh, pepere. So on my mom's side, I have memere.

[00:19:09] And on my dad's side, it's grandma and grandpa. 

[00:19:11] Pam Uzzell: Okay. Okay. Okay. Well, I am dying to ask you now if on your dad's side, they're primarily English speaking or is it just to differentiate? 

[00:19:23] Alexandra LeBoeuf: My dad was raised bilingual, but my grandmother is very, she's like very English. Well, like no, none, no French while my grandfather, he grew up again, bilingual.

[00:19:36] So they, they tried to raise them bilingual, but they're more on the English side, like we'll speak more English with on their side, while with my mom's side, it's Pure Astorville French, which is a little different than like you'd hear in Quebec. It's, there's a lot of slang. 

[00:19:54] Pam Uzzell: Right. What kind of French did you say it was?

[00:19:56] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I called it Astorville French just because we're in a, because there's [00:20:00] Quebec French, there's French from France, and then there's also French from Sturgeon Falls, which is right on the edge of North Bay. And then on the other end, there's East Ferris, which is just a bunch of little communities.

[00:20:13] And we kind of like have our own French, almost. Some of the words we say are different, or the accent is slightly different. It's just something that's there. 

[00:20:25] Pam Uzzell: That's very cool that you have both of these languages and that. Yeah, I'm envious. I do speak French, but not, I'm not bilingual by any means. So, you know, this whole season is talking about connections.

[00:20:41] And what I'm wondering is if you've ever felt challenged to connect. I know we talked a little bit before about this feeling of wanting to meet other people who have your disease. And I relate to that so strongly. But I'm also wondering if you've ever felt challenged to connect and if you've like doing creative things has helped you with that?

[00:21:07] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I've always been super shy and timid and I had social anxiety, it kind of a little bit still do. But I know that when I started recreational dancing at first I had a hard time connecting with people, and just doing that kind of took my mind off of having to talk to other people. But then with the competitive part of it, I didn't really have a choice, because this is my team.

[00:21:34] So I got to speak with other people, which was a little bit easier. And progressively got easier and easier as time went along, because I got to know these people. I saw them like, literally every night except on weekends because I had dance classes for a good three hours every night from Monday to Friday.

[00:21:54] I was probably at the studio more than I was at home, which is kind of weird to say now, but yeah, I was at the studio a lot. So these people became almost like my dance family. I had my family at home and my dance family, which is my team that I traveled with and practiced with every night. And I also realized that it's almost easier to talk to people when you're doing something creative because you're not really focusing on who you're talking to.

[00:22:22] You're just -- it's easier. I'm not entirely sure why. 

[00:22:26] Pam Uzzell: That's really interesting. I have heard, you know, as a mom, they talk about like how to talk to your teenagers or your kids. And they do always recommend that you do it while you're doing something else, like maybe taking a hike or, you know, something where your body

[00:22:49] is occupied in a certain way as opposed to just sitting like across the table and talking to them. Do you think that that has anything to do with it? Or do you think it's something else for you? 

[00:23:02] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I'm not entirely sure, but I have heard that a lot of art therapists do that with younger kids. When they try to figure out what's bothering them, if they won't talk about it, they'll get them to draw a picture and they'll talk to them while they're doing that.

[00:23:17] So I do know that it's a way to get people to open up, but I'm not entirely sure if it's the same thing, because like, I have an easier time talking to people that are in my art classes than I would talking to just anybody, which could be because I'm drawing. It could be because I'm not drawing. So I can't say that it's because I'm drawing, but I just find they're easy people to talk to.

[00:23:44] Pam Uzzell: That's interesting. Well, now I'm wondering if it's because everybody is revealing some part of themselves in their creative work that makes it feel like some sort of barrier has been lowered. Do you feel that at all, or am I just 

[00:24:02] Alexandra LeBoeuf: Actually, that's pretty accurate, because a lot of our themes, at one point I had a theme that was, I had to speak about place and space, and I made an entire project on the fact that, how we moved from the city into the country.

[00:24:20] So, like how different it was, and how my house took a couple years before it became my home. There's a lot of subjects that I can relate to, that I have to relate to for most of my projects, and everybody does. So, it is very revealing, I guess. 

[00:24:39] Pam Uzzell: Do you find for yourself that it's easier sometimes to express something through a creative work than it is just to say it, especially something, you know, like feeling this move and feeling like it took a while for you to feel like it was home with something like that, something that's personal?

[00:24:59] And about [00:25:00] emotions, would that be easier for you to express that in creative work than it would be just to say it? 

[00:25:06] Alexandra LeBoeuf: Definitely easier to put it like in an art piece or find a song that relates to it. It's much easier than having to actually use my words to express it. 

[00:25:18] Pam Uzzell: Well, I'm curious about how you see your creative future.

[00:25:25] Do you think you might want to go into a field where you're using your, your skills at art, or what do you feel, or is it always going to be just something that you're doing for the pleasure of it? 

[00:25:39] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I'm not entirely sure what I want to do in the future, but I do know that I want to incorporate art in it somehow.

[00:25:48] So I will be graduating with a minor in fine arts. So that's like visual arts and painting and drawing, sketching, all that kind of stuff. So I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with it yet. But after I take my year off and go back to school and actually figure out what I want to do, I do want to try and incorporate art into it so that it's something that I keep doing because I know that it helps me and it could probably help other people too.

[00:26:14] Pam Uzzell: For sure. 

[00:26:15] Alexandra LeBoeuf: And then we'll go from there. 

[00:26:17] Pam Uzzell: Uh huh. Have you found doing creative work that it strengthened bonds with people you were already friends with? 

[00:26:27] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I think so. Like, there was some people that before, like, I knew who they were and they knew who I was. Like, we were like acquaintances, but we, because I found like, Oh, you do this, or you'd like to do that.

[00:26:41] And I was like, yeah, like me too. And it just, we became closer friends because of those, because of those, uh, shared interests. So that sometimes happens. But again, I was very shy, so usually I wasn't the one to make those connections. They usually had to like, ask first, or start the conversation for me to actually engage.

[00:27:05] Pam Uzzell: Right. Right. But you said earlier that when you're doing something creative, it actually lessens that shyness. I think you said, sort of, you had a little bit of social anxiety. So 

[00:27:18] Alexandra LeBoeuf: Yes, but uh, like it's still there, it's just somebody who's gonna start a conversation with somebody I don't know. 

[00:27:24] Pam Uzzell: Yeah. 

[00:27:25] Alexandra LeBoeuf: But when they do, like, start the conversation, I have an easier time joining in and talking more like it's a friend than just somebody I met that just happens to be in the same class as me.

[00:27:38] Pam Uzzell: Well, thank you for coming on the show. It's been so wonderful to connect with you and your mom. And then last year, I met your dad. And I've just always wanted to ask you, especially about drawing that MDF logo, because I think it meant a lot to a lot of people. Did you get a lot of feedback from people talking to you about it?

[00:28:04] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I did. It was almost a little bit overwhelming, because I showed up at the conference and everybody knew my face. I was just like, oh, hi, who are you? Because everybody knew who I was, and I was like, oh. It was just something that never really happened before. For a long time I felt like, I felt like just another patient, and that was something I definitely did not want to be.

[00:28:27] That was like the last, like, I wanted to do something. I wanted to be able to help. I did not want to be just another patient. And then Facebook showed up with an ad that was like, Hey, we have a competition for a logo and it was COVID and I was bored and had nothing else better to do. So I was like, why not?

[00:28:46] Why not do this to spend my time? And then I got a call telling me that I won. And now everybody knows my face and you can find me on Google. 

[00:28:55] Pam Uzzell: Oh, wow. Amazing. Amazing. For people listening, do you want people to reach out and connect with you or do you, cause you can give us a social media post or something.

[00:29:06] Um, and if not, that's fine too. What is your preference? 

[00:29:11] Alexandra LeBoeuf: They can definitely contact me. I like talking to people when I did have like, I have people, some people contacting me that are like, Oh, my children got diagnosed and most of the time I connect with them. And then I'm like, Hey, we have a Canadian support group.

[00:29:27] Let me give you a link or put you on a registration list. So. I do appreciate when people reach out. 

[00:29:34] Pam Uzzell: Do you want them to reach out to you, I don't know if you're on, are you on Facebook? 

[00:29:39] Alexandra LeBoeuf: I am on Facebook. 

[00:29:40] Pam Uzzell: Okay, so do you want them to reach out on Facebook or some other way? 

[00:29:45] Alexandra LeBoeuf: They can contact me through, uh, Facebook through Messenger.

[00:29:49] I will warn people. I rarely do check the messages that are not on my contact list, so you might want to friend me first and then contact me because I might not see your message till a [00:30:00] long time after. 

[00:30:01] Pam Uzzell: Yes, sounds very reasonable. And that is one thing I forgot to talk about is that you and your mom started that support group in Canada because there wasn't one.

[00:30:11] Alexandra LeBoeuf: There wasn't one indeed. I know that there was a woman named Teresa Buffoni. I think she won the Kayla Vittek award last year. 

[00:30:20] Pam Uzzell: Which award, which award was this? 

[00:30:22] Alexandra LeBoeuf: The Kayla Vittek Memorial Award, the one I won in 2022. It was the one I, during the virtual meeting, that is the one that I, I got. But she used to run a support group in Ottawa, but she wasn't able to anymore, so.

[00:30:37] Me and my mom decided, hey, let's make a virtual support group so everybody can join because Canada's a big place and not everybody can go to Ottawa once a month. 

[00:30:47] Pam Uzzell: Right. Yeah, you and your mom together are such a powerhouse of support. So, it doesn't surprise me that people know your face, know your name, because I think you guys have done so much in terms of really creating community and connections through your advocacy around myotonic dystrophy.

[00:31:13] And then you made that beautiful logo. 

[00:31:15] Alexandra LeBoeuf: Yeah. 

[00:31:15] Pam Uzzell: Okay, Alex. Well, thank you so much. Say hi to your mom for me and thanks for coming on the show. 

[00:31:25] Alexandra LeBoeuf: No problem. I had fun

[00:31:30] Pam Uzzell: You're listening to art heals all wounds

[00:31:57] Thank you Alex LeBeouf for being on the show today to talk about the role that art plays in your life. I love that it helps you connect with others. I'll put Alex's Facebook page in the show notes for this episode. It's a great reminder that if you're feeling alone with this type of diagnosis for you or a child, connecting with someone else who's gone through this is in itself healing.

[00:32:21] I'll also put a link to the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation in the show notes. It's very, very possible and probable that a cure will be found for this disease. If you care to donate, your donations will go towards research for a cure and treatment. 

[00:32:39] Do you have a story to share about the role that art has played in your life?

[00:32:43] Share it with me in a voicemail and I'll share it on the show. Just go to my website, arthealsallwoundspodcast.com and you'll see where you can click to leave me a voicemail. Every time you leave a story, you help someone else. And if you feel able and would like to support this show, you can do that at my website too.

[00:33:06] This show is completely independent with no sponsors. Any bit you can donate helps me out a lot. Thanks for listening. 

[00:33:17] The music you've heard in this podcast is by Ketsa and Lobo Loco. 

[00:33:22] This podcast was edited by Iva Hristova.