Ann Arbor, MI — October 4, 2006 — A prominent Web site that provides vital information to individuals with facial disfigurements is being transferred to the University of Michigan where its role will be enhanced through collaboration involving several U-M units including the School of Dentistry, the U-M Health System, Mott Children's Hospital, and University Libraries.

The Web site, "Let's Face It," (www.faceit.org) is currently part of a nonprofit network with the same name that was established in 1987 by Betsy Wilson to help adults, teenagers, and children cope with facial disfigurements. Wilson, an early childhood educator with a master's degree, worked as a child life specialist with hospitals in four states.

Now 75, Wilson lost part of her face and jaw to cancer in 1972. She is also the parent of a child who was born with craniosynostosis, a premature fusion of the skull. A relatively common malady that affects about one in 3,000 children, craniosynostosis has been associated with a myriad of problems and can be a significant biomedical and financial burden for affected children and their parents.

On October 27, the site will be officially unveiled to the public in its U-M version during the University's "Investing in Abilities Week." Wilson will speak at the School of Dentistry on the topic "Facing Life with a Different Face" from noon until 1:00 p.m. in Room G378. The public is invited to attend the free program.

The Web site, which will be hosted by the University of Michigan following the October 27 program, will also be redesigned and will serve as a major clearinghouse for information on craniofacial abnormalities provided not only from the University of Michigan, but also other groups and organizations, both nationally and internationally.

"Tremendous Expertise" at U-M

The U-M organizations will organize, update, and add new content to the Web site. The site has traditionally supplied information including news about conferences and research studies; information about specific conditions such as Crouzon Syndrome, Moebius Syndrome, cancer, etc.; and names, addresses, and Web sites of dozens of organizations and resources that parents or guardians, teenagers, educators, dentists, physicians, and others can contact to learn more.

The Web site will be enriched with other helpful data including information about a greater variety of conditions, resources for patients about the members of their craniofacial health care team, how to effectively communicate with their team, and resources for health professionals working with patients with facial differences.

"We're all very excited with the opportunity to build on Betsy's solid foundation," said Patricia Anderson, senior associate librarian at the U-M School of Dentistry, who was instrumental in Wilson's decision to transfer the Web site to U-M.

The Web site was originally scheduled to vanish in August. However, Anderson said Wilson chose the University of Michigan "because our vision of what the site could do to help others blends with what she has been trying to achieve throughout her life." Anderson added that Wilson was impressed with the expertise of those on this campus who are involved in clinical practice, research, and classroom instruction.

Site Fills a Vacuum

Dr. Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch, one of 11 members of the group that has been working on the Web site transfer and who has worked extensively with patients with craniofacial defects, said that a major strength of the ‘Let's Face It' Web site is that "it fills a vacuum. It appeals to a broad audience that speaks to the needs and concerns of individuals of different ages. Children with craniofacial anomalies grow up to become teenagers and adults. As they do," she continued, "they need information and resources that can help them cope with their conditions and challenges they face, not just as children or teenagers, but as adults. This site does that."

Murdoch-Kinch, a dentist who has worked with children craniofacial anomalies and is trained in clinical genetics, added, "the multidisciplinary expertise of the many different health professionals here at Michigan, will help us to add new content to the Web site that will benefit those who most need it."

Dentists will also want to visit the Web site she said. "It will give them a wealth of information and links about various conditions, the resources that are available to help them, and how to treat patients with specific problems."

The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is one of the nation's leading dental schools engaged in oral health care education, research, patient care, and community service. General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the School to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan. Classroom and clinic instruction prepare future dentists, dental specialists, and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia, and public agencies. Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide. For more information about the School of Dentistry, visit the Web at: www.dent.umich.edu.

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