Media Contact: Sandra Van
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DINNER-PARTY DONATIONS EVOLVE INTO EFFORT TO RAISE $7.5 MILLION IN BATTLE AGAINST BRAIN TUMORS
LOS ANGELES (March 24, 1999) - An organization that grew out of a series of dinner parties is committed to raising millions of dollars to help the Cedars-Sinai Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute search for cures to brain tumors.
Linda Burrows credits neurosurgeon Keith L. Black, M.D., with removing a tumor and saving her life in October 1996. In appreciation and as a means of raising awareness and funds to support the effort to combat brain tumors, she later hosted several gatherings at her home, inviting Dr. Black to speak and inviting friends to contribute.
"I am proud of the work that Dr. Black has done. I'm feeling great and I'm going to be around to see all my daughters get married," says Linda, who, with ex-husband and TV director James Burrows, has three daughters, ages 10, 14 and 17. "I think Dr. Black's work is invaluable. I am a living example of how brilliant his work is."
Although Linda originally set a goal of raising $2.5 million, her dinner parties spawned an organization called the Brain Trust which is gaining momentum through the efforts of another volunteer, Paula Silver. Consisting of individuals who represent the entertainment industry, the computer field and numerous other walks of life, the Brain Trust is planning a variety of events intended to bring in another $5 million over the next few years.
Most of those involved in the Brain Trust have had their lives impacted in one way or another by brain cancer. Starting with a core of about eight individuals, the Brain Trust has seen a recent surge in interest that has brought membership to nearly 30.
Linda endured a short course of chemotherapy in mid-1998, an experience that steeled her commitment to the neurosurgical institute's cause. "I was extremely ill and I was determined that I didn't want anybody else, ever, to have to go through what I went through," she says. "They don't give you many choices. They give you chemotherapy and they give you radiation as your choices. But, you know, neither one of them is very good. There has to be a better way."
Members of the Brain Trust say they appreciate Dr. Black's stature as a role model and hero to children. He often spends time with young people in the community, and the Neurosurgical Institute offers opportunities for students to visit the research and treatment center. One of Dr. Black's greatest desires is to spark in young people an interest in the sciences and encourage them to consider a career in research.
With a lifelong interest in science, Dr. Black published his first scientific paper at age 17, earned both his undergraduate and medical degrees in six years, and is currently recognized for both his surgical skills and his research advances, developing innovative approaches to the treatment and prevention of cancer. Founding the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai in 1997, Dr. Black continues to assemble a world-class team of neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, research scientists and support personnel.
In addition to directing the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, Dr. Black serves as director of Cedars-Sinai's Division of Neurosurgery and the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program.
"We're building a bridge between the research laboratory and the patient's bedside," he says. "As we make new discoveries in the laboratories, discover new genes that might be important in treating Parkinson's disease or brain tumors, we can quickly translate those discoveries into new clinical treatments. At the same time, we can focus our basic scientists on the specific problems that our clinicians are seeing."
Dr. Black says he is grateful for the work of Linda Burrows and the members of the Brain Trust, and that his greatest satisfaction would come from seeing their efforts contribute to the total elimination of brain tumors in the next few years -- the primary objective he has set for his team.
"Treatment for a brain tumor is difficult for an entire family, not just the patient." says Linda. "The sooner Dr. Black can find a cure, the better we'll all be."
For more information on the Cedars-Sinai Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute or on Brain Trust, please call 310-855-7900.
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