Teaching the Educated
Humbly Dedicated
"I think families and children are the most important. All kids should grow up and have healthy and happy lives."
Susan Turben is currently working on a program that will enable children whose parents are incarcerated the opportunity to visit that parent at their facility.
Susan Turben was honored with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Lifetime Achievement Award at the society's conference.
Describing Susan Turben is not a difficult task. The Kirtland Hills resident is humble and dedicated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
That dedication recently led to her being honored with the society's Lifetime Achievement Award at its national conference. "I was floored," Turben said. "There were others so much more deserving."
"We had street carnivals with my children and others in the neighborhood," Turben recalled. "The events were a way for the children to become involved and help with fundraising."
The mother of three grown children began her longtime association with the society when husband was diagnosed with the disease in 1967.
Turben moved to the Cleveland area in 1975 from Albany, NY and began working as director of the Multiple Sclerosis Society here.
"My husband had MS and the VA hospital was here," Turben said of the move.
Additionally, she has worked with children. She began as a Head Start mother in 1965. After her husband lost his battle with MS, she eventually remarried, earned her bachelor, master's and doctoral degrees and later, established Turben Developmental Services.
"I represent the family, but take the child's point of view," Turben said of her work.
She helps families who have children who might need extra help from the system, those with disabilities and children who have gone through the court system due to abuse or other situations.
Turben is unusual in the fact that she make house calls.
"We are blessed in this county. We have the greatest case workers. They keep track of what is happening," Turben said.
Turben, as a child development expert, has been recognized nationally for programs she has designed and implemented that serve families with infants and toddlers.
"Strengthening families is my thing," Turben said.
Through the Susan and John Turben Foundation, she has committed strong financial support to numerous nonprofit agencies, including the National MS Society.
Turben has been responsible for donating more than $300,000 to help the society with its mission to end the devastating effects of MS.
Turben is involved in a mentoring program that helps parents navigate the system to get the help their child may need.
She is a staunch believer that children, regardless of their disabilities, should not be segregated in any way. She is currently working on a program that will enable children whose parents are incarcerated the opportunity to visit that parent at their facility.
"I think families and children are the most important. All kids should grow up and have healthy and happy lies," Turben said.
She is also working abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia, trying to help children there as well.
In addition to three grown children, she is grandmother of nine with another on the way.
Turben and a sister have attended the National Ice Skating Championships for the past nine years.
She also admits to liking homey things, such as gardening.
Her word of advice to families, "Hang out with each other, spend time, children cannot be pushed around."
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