Andy, thank you for taking time to speak to our club yesterday. You gave one of the most inspirational speeches I have ever heard. No one [else] ever got a standing ovation after their speech in my 27 years at Kiwanis."

I would highly recommend Andy Lipman as a speaker for your group! He is very adept at sharing his story about living with cystic fibrosis – the challenges, opportunities and real life experiences. You won’t be disappointed and will come away with a much better understanding of this disease and how you can help us get closer to a cure.

In September 2002, Andy Lipman gave the closing address at the inaugural National Conference on Birth Defects, Developmental Disabilities, Disability and Health. This conference celebrated the establishment of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, and was attended by hundreds of public health professionals, academic researchers and families living with disabilities. The conference was exciting and filled with emotion, and included a gala event with Dana Reeve as Mistress of Ceremonies and Eunice Kennedy Shriver being honored with an award. New scientific research was presented and innovative prevention strategies for birth defects were shared. Playing the role of closing speaker after such an event-filled week was not an easy task, and Andy was to follow the presentation of the newly appointed Surgeon General Richard Carmona. But Andy stole the show. As a speaker, he epitomized the human impact of the issues that the conference was addressing from a scientific perspective. Not only that, he epitomized the optimism and spirit that should guide the work of any public health or medical professional. He was passionate, he was thoughtful, and most of all he was inspiring both on a personal and professional level. It would be my honor to recommend Mr. Lipman as a public speaker to anyone who wants to truly understand courage, joy and the power of living life to its fullest potential.

Every one of us was excited about Andy's inspirational presentation. Many of our members stayed after the meeting to visit with Andy on a one on one basis. He stayed until all questions were answered and comments voiced. Indeed, Andy is one who can motivate.

"For CEOs, success is measured by market share and profitability, but when they heard Andy Lipman's presentation, "Against All Odds," they realized a far more significant measure: Survival. Andy's talk with my CEO groups reached deep inside,detailing a story of not only of survival but also of commitment(he has raised more than a million dollars for a charity named in memory of a sister who died of his same dread disease),and did so with grace and humor and without being maudlin."