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The Beauty Behind the Logo of Alstrom Syndrome International

Perhaps you’ve wondered why a dove and rainbow have been chosen to represent Alström Syndrome International?

The story begins in 1995, when the first family “reunion” took place at Belleville, a small village near Yarmouth, in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. The host family, Leland, Sandra, and their daughter, Cheryl Surette, had always had a special connection with doves, always knowing that they were a heavenly sign of support, peace and good things to come. The Surette family had a bird feeder in their yard and always enjoyed watching just a few doves – never more than 3 at a time – eating the seeds and frolicking on the ground below. On the day of the happy reunion of parents and children from around the world, Leland was amazed to see that, rather than the normal 2 or 3 doves eating the seeds from the feeder, there were 8 beautiful doves - the exact number of Alström Syndrome children who would be meeting later on that day! The doves stayed around their home until the last day of the reunion and were never again seen in that number around their home.

From this meeting in 1995, the Society for Alström Syndrome Families (which is now Alström Syndrome International) was formed. Sandra Surette was elected as President and began the task of helping put together a support group that would touch families around the world. As part of her tasks, she attended several conferences and meetings in the United States and in United Kingdom. On one of her trips in 1998, she noticed that there was a beautiful rainbow in the sky. One month later, returning from another meeting, she again noticed a rainbow in the sky. She began to notice that on most of her return trips from any meeting or conference dealing with Alström Syndrome, she could usually find a rainbow on the horizon. In 2001, she and her husband had attended the Alström UK conference and while traveling with another family and their physician from Tbilisi, Georgia, as well as Robin and Jan Marshall, Leland pointed out a very beautiful rainbow in the sky! She is sure that it is a sign – a sign of promise that through the rain of many hardships, good things will also touch all Alström Syndrome families and friends!

Thus, the ASI logo speaks of the signs we are given; those of support, peace and good things even with the rain…