Vicki L. Williams-Patterson

Born Vicki Lynn Flood--daughter to Don and Charleen Flood and sister to John-- Vicki L. Williams-Patterson fills another important founding board member seat at the Flood Family Foundation. A professional watercolor artist in San Antonio, Texas, a Board-Certified Art Therapist, and a Licensed Professional Counselor with an MCAT (Master of Creative Art Therapy) and considerable experience in Jungian Sand Tray Process, Vicki brings another highly creative perspective to the philanthropic work of the FFF.

In her therapist work, Vicki specializes in Trauma Recovery, most recently with teens and adults, though she has worked with people whose ages range from three to sixty-three. In a recent bio clip for the Rx Art Reception Fundraiser--which was sponsored by San Antonio's Health and Healing Consortium--Vicki discussed her history with art and her parallel path as an Artist/Healer:

While I have been in practice as an art therapist since 1983, I have been an artist since early childhood. Making art has become such an integral part of me that I can't imagine going very long without "making stuff." In 1977 I received my BFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas at Austin. Then I moved to California where I was active at Clay Dimensions Studio and Many Hands Artists Co-op. My Art has served as a record of my life, an escape from despair, and as a powerful source of personal truth. The creative process is equally essential to my work with clients. While some of them enjoy using traditional media for self-expression, others express their inner images through the "sand-tray" process. For me, watercolor embodies the unpredictability and complexity of life. Whatever the medium, I find the visual creative process to be both compelling and delightful.

And, of course, Vicki has experienced first-hand the healing power of art and its ability to act as a therapeutic voice or expression for people burdened by a trauma: "art can subtly address

issues," she believes, "especially in the beginning when too many emotions confound language--and language is at first too linked to a trauma."

Given her experience and expertise, it is no surprise that Vicki gives her full support to FFF initiatives like the Freese Elementary Special Education Drum Project--which offers creative arts outlets--like painting, sculpture, puppetry, music and dance-- for young, needy students in the San Diego School system.

And as the daughter of Charleen, who instilled in her the "idea that [she] had the freedom to choose [her] own career path," Vicki works tirelessly--along with the rest of the Flood Family Foundation-- to honor her mother's memory and help free all of those suffering from the encumbering complications of Parkinson's. For more information on Vicki L. Williams-Patterson, click here.

The Charleen B. Flood Memorial Research Fund

The Charleen B. Flood Memorial Research Fund for the advancement of Neurological Music Therapy was the Flood Family Foundation's inaugural effort to stamp out Parkinson's Disease. This generous donation of $50,000 had its origins in the heartbreaking loss of Charleen in 2004, after her 15-year battle with the illness she playfully called "Mr. P." After losing Charleen, her loving husband Don and her two children, John and Vicki, wished to honor her courage, spirit, and memory by continuing the fight she had begun 15 years earlier.

As Charleen shared twin passions for science and music (she worked for many years as a Medical Technologist and performed with choirs such as the Sky Larks and the La Jolla Symphony Chorus), the gift to Colorado State University's innovative Neurolgical Music Therapy program--which combines both science and music into practical therapies--was a natural choice. In addition, the college's prestigious faculty and innovative research in the arena of NMT is pushing the boundaries of the current understanding of Parkinson's Disease and training a fresh generation of therapists who are spreading these seeds of knowledge into communities around the country, where they are already expanding the popular notions of how to effectively manage the disease.

At the forefront of this revolution is Dr. Michael H. Thaut, a world-reknowned neuroscientist, former professional musician, Director for the Center for Biomedical Research in Music and Co-Executive Director of Colorado State's School of the Arts. Dr. Thaut’s internationally recognized research focuses on brain function in music, especially time information processing in the brain related to rhythmicity and biomedical applications of music to neurologic rehabilitation of cognitive and motor function. He received the National Research Award in 1993 and the National Service Award in 2001 from the American Music Therapy Association. He has over 120 scientific publications and has authored and coauthored 3 books. In his words, the Charleen B. Flood Memorial Research Fund is a wonderful gift that he hopes will inspire more people to support the landmark body of NMT research:

We are extremely grateful and honored to be the recipient of this fund which will allow us to broaden our research into neurologic music therapy and rehabilitation for patients with Parkinson’s disease. We never met Charleen while she was still alive, but we have met her husband and children who carry her legacy forward in beautiful and powerful ways. They are a truly remarkable family. We hope that more people will feel inspired by the Flood family’s gift and donate into the fund.

To help support Dr. Thaut and add to the Flood Fund, you can click this link, which will take you to Colorado State's donor page. With fully-supported research and teaching, we can make leaps and bounds toward the ultimate goal of eradicating Parkinson's altogether.