The second annual New Jersey Walks For TS event in Mendham, N.J., will take place tomorrow, Nov. 19, at Borough Park. Following is an account of how teenager T.J. Stanley, the inspiration for the event, has dealt with Tourette Syndrome since being diagnosed with with the condition at age 11.

When I first found out I had Tourette Syndrome, I wasn’t sure what it meant. What I was sure of was that I wanted to find out as much as I possibly could about the neurological condition that affects as many as 1 in 100 people.

After several years of learning what it meant to be a teen with TS, I, then 15, felt confident enough to create a documentary about what it is like to live with Tourette. Titled “TS Has TS” and available for the world to view on YouTube, the documentary was the birthing point of the New Jersey Walks For TS event.

But for me, now 18 and having fought many battles against TS over the years, being able to explain to the public what Tourette is and how it affects someone is only the tip of the iceberg. And that tip begins with what are known as tics, repeated involuntary movements and uncontrollable vocal sounds. Continue reading →