2025 MLD Family Conference®
It's the only MLD-specific conference...
Atlanta, GA (USA) ... Friday June 20th thru Saturday June 21st, 2025
Please join us as we gather the MLD Family™ and their MLD affected loved ones along with the world’s leading MLD doctors, researchers, scientists, and caregivers for a weekend of fun, education, discussion, friendship, live hugs, and an unforgettable time!
All MLD families are invited, whether you currently have an MLD affected loved one or an angel! There will be plenty of group and one-on-one time to meet the other families and the doctors. Leave the weekend with new friends, new knowledge, and practical inspiration & ideas!
“I can’t describe to you what it means to families to finally meet another family face to face at a MLD Family Conference®. The rarity of MLD makes families feel very isolated. Our extended family can’t understand what we are going through, and very few doctors know about MLD so families find themselves educating the doctors and staff who care for their children, and the families have to watch and try to cope as their child endures painful losses and slowly slips away. Time spent sharing with one another on our family discussion list helps but being able to touch and hug someone in person does more than words can say.“
Registration Opens Monday, April 23rd
We all know diagnosis before symptoms is the gateway to the best outcomes with therapies. Newborn Screening is the best way to diagnose early. But newborn screening is so much more than just a lab test. How do we get MLD NBS launched in every state and country? How do we help public health implement MLD NBS? How do we get on the federal, state and international screening lists?
Join us for the MLD Newborn Screening Academy™ to learn more, ask questions, and join the collaboration to implement MLD NBS in your state and country.
Friday 6/20 … Session I
Saturday 6/21 … Session II
* Eastern Daylight time (Atlanta) Schedule tbd
Y’all, we’re heading southeast to Georgia this year for our 2025 MLD Family Conference®! Join us in Atlanta, the Empire City of the South – Where You Belong!
We’ll have plenty of social time, highly-interactive sessions as well as some special breakout sessions!
EARLYBIRD BONUS – Register by and GET THURSDAY NIGHT FREE!
Check in Thursday and get settled before the conference starts Friday morning.
We urge you to make your travel plans early, especially if you are flying in, to keep travel costs down. The Atlanta Airport Hilton is … you guessed it … at the airport! (ATL).
Friday – 9 am start – includes light breakfast, lunch, and a casual welcome dinner
Saturday – 8:30 am to 5 pm followed by a MLD Family™ dinner celebration – includes all meals
Sunday – departures
* all times subject to change per final agenda
FAQ & More Details
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The 2025 agenda is not yet available. Meanwhile, you can see the 2024 agenda here here.
The Agenda is subject to change as final presenter confirmations are made.We continue to refine and adjust the agenda to include more time to socialize, and replacing boring one-way lectures with roundtable discussions & panels!
The conference format is very interactive and may include some remote video presentations.
We will be providing an experienced volunteer staffed respite room for those affected with MLD so you can enjoy the presentations or if your loved one needs time to rest or simply wants to have a better time with DVDs, art and other activities. They will be in a room near our meeting room for easy access and your peace of mind. You will be responsible for all medications, feeding, and toileting.
Children and youth must be supervised while at the hotel – either sitting with you in the meeting, supervised by an adult in your room, or participating in our children and/or youth programs. They cannot roam the hotel or swim unsupervised. You are responsible for your children and teens.
We will again have a structured children’s program for all children – both healthy and affected. We have experienced leaders planning two full days of games, art, music and other activities to help the kids enjoy their time, too.
If you express interest and there are enough youth registered, we will try to put together a separate youth program (ages 11 and up).
Our host hotel is the Hilton Atlanta Airport, a located on the North side of the Atlanta (ATL) airport.
1031 Virginia Avenue, Hapeville, Georgia, 30354
Check In: 4pm, Check Out: 11am
The hotel has King and Double Queen rooms with tubs and connecting rooms. Please specify on registration if a tub, connecting room or accessible room is needed.
Hotel parking is included with registration.
PLEASE NOTE – DO NOT contact the hotel directly for reservations or special requests, all reservations and requests must be handled directly by MLD Foundation.
The hotel is located on the North side of the Atlanta airport and non-accessible shuttles run every 30 minutes 24 hours a day. We will shuttle families that need special help in our van. The rooms are well-appointed to ensure a comfortable stay with plush beds, complimentary Wi-Fi and HD SMART TVs, refrigerators a, microwaves, tasteful decor, a peaceful atmosphere, and superior service.
There is both an inside and an outside pool.
A limited number of roll-aways are available – first come, first served.
[read more and see photos on the hotel web site …].
We strongly encourage all families, even local families, to stay at the conference hotel. A key aspect of the MLD Family Conference is the casual atmosphere and ability to mingle with other families. Our hotel rooms are underwritten by grants and donations to keep the cost to a minimum.
Your registration includes continental breakfast, lunch & dinner on Friday, … and breakfast, lunch & dinner Saturday.
Please specify special dietary needs when you register (gluten free, diabetic, vegetarian), and whether child, adult, or no meals are needed.
We try to keep the meals & breaks light and reasonably healthy.
No meal is provided Thursday evening, but there are several restaurants within walking distance or a short rideshare drive.
Conference attire is casual. However, while it may be warm and humid outside, hotel meeting rooms can often be cool so please consider a light sweater for the meeting rooms.
Average June highs in Atlanta are 88 with average lows of 69 and with occasional rain and/or thunderstorms.
Parking (Thu-Sun) is included in registration for those driving.
If you are flying you will be responsible for transportation costs from your home city to Atlanta.
The hotel offers a free airport shuttle every 30 minutes 24 hours a day.. Their van is not handicap accessible and is not ideal for families with larger stroller and medical supplies. We have a mini-van on standby to help you get from and back to the airport terminal.
Downtown Atlanta, including Olympic Park, The World of Coca Cola Museum, the Georgia Aquarium, the Varsity, and many more venues and activities are 20 minutes away in downtown Atlanta (15 minute from the airport on MARTA).
Southern Regional Medical Center is 20 minutes away, and the new and very highly rated Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital is 24 minutes away at 2220 North Druid Hills Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329
Note: EARLYBIRD BONUS – Register by May 11th and GET THURSDAY NIGHT FREE!
Also note … Your hotel room is included in the costs below – unlike most other rare disease conferences where you have to book and pay for your room separately! 😉
Prices are kept as low as possible through grants from our partners! The conference is not a fundraiser for MLD Foundation.
Limited Scholarships are available – see the tab below this one.
| 1st adult – staying at the hotel | $200 | Includes first adult and all MLD-affected family members, 2 nights at the hotel , meals as described above and a conference folder. |
| 1st adult – NOT staying at hotel | $200 | Includes first adult & all MLD-affected family members, same as above but does NOT include hotel room. |
| Additional Adults | $120 | Includes meals as above, and a conference folder. * Note room occupancy limits in Hotel section, above. |
| Guests from for-profit companies | $800 | Includes up to two nights hotel, includes meals as above, and a conference folder. * Please note … per conflict guidelines, industry costs are not subsidized and free early-bird night is not available. |
| Youth/Children (eating adult meals) | $50 | Includes meals as above, supervised youth program (if enough interest is expressed), and access to the children’s/respite room. |
| Children (eating child’s meals) | $30 | Includes meals as above and access to the children’s program/respite room. |
| Infants | free | < 1 year old. Does not include child care or meals. |
| Roll-away beds | n/a | Not available |
| Cribs | $0 | Limited Availability |
| Parking | Included with Registration | |
| Airport Transportation | The hotel offers a free non-accessible shuttle and we will provide a mini-van for transportation. | |
| Extra Nights | $tbd | We are working to extend our conference room rate for 3 days before and 3 days after the conference if you wish to stay in the area for any extra time. Please keep in touch if this is of interest. |
Please note that you will be responsible for your own travel arrangements and costs from your home town to Atlanta.
The MLD Family Conference is not a fund-raiser for MLD Foundation – and you are only paying for a small portion of the direct costs. Limited conference registration scholarships will be available for those needing financial assistance. Please go ahead and register. Enter your confidential scholarship request on the bottom of the registration payment page.
We want everyone that wants to attend to be able to. If you need assistance with registration or being able to attend please let us know. We will confidentially try to help as best we can. Limited scholarships are available
Please go ahead and register. Enter your confidential scholarship request on the bottom of the registration payment page.
We recognize that life with MLD brings surprises on a schedule you can’t always control. However, we have to make firm financial commitments to the hotel for rooms and meals well in advance of the actual conference. Generally, we cannot accept cancellations, however, if you need to cancel please let us know as soon as possible so we can work with you to try an accommodate a refund. We will do our best but the exact refund amount will depend on our hotel contract obligations at the time of the cancellation.
The MLD Family Conference® is for the benefit of MLD affected families and those providing their immediate support. We restrict attendance to create an atmosphere of intimacy for the families and to keep our focus on MLD. MLD Foundation reserves the right to restrict or deny registration and attendance at a MLD Family Conference to achieve this goal.
This conference is being organized by MLD Foundation. Check with your tax consultant about the deductibility of any expenses associated with this conference.
QUESTIONS
Questions? … Contact Teryn Suhr <[email protected]> +1 503-656-4808