MEDIA ADVISORY
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR RESEARCH FUND
6th ANNUAL NEUROSURGERY CHARITY SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
SATURDAY, JUNE 6th , 2009 – CENTRAL PARK
NEW YORK YANKEES AND BRAIN SURGEONS HITTING IT OUT OF THE PARK FOR PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR RESEARCH
Pediatric brain tumors have surpassed leukemia as the leading cause of cancer death in children. Now, doctors are taking matters into their own hands to help these kids in need. The 5th Annual Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament is more than just a ball game – it is an example of doctors taking their lifelong commitment to medicine to the next level. Sponsored by George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees, brain surgeons from 20 of the nations’ top medical institutions will battle it out in New York City on Saturday June 6th to raise funds for pediatric brain tumor research. Supported by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, this date has been declared "Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament Day" in the City of New York.
Key pediatric brain tumor stats: According to the National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society, pediatric brain tumors continue to surpass leukemia as the leading cause of cancer death in children. Over 3,000 new cases of childhood primary brain tumors are expected to be diagnosed this year. Of these new cases, over 75% of these will be in children less than 15 years old. More than 21,000 American children are living with the diagnosis of a primary brain tumor. The five-year survival following diagnosis of a primary malignant brain tumor is only 32 %, and four out of 10 children with a brain tumor will die of their disease within three years of diagnosis. Brain tumors are also the third leading cause of cancer death for young adults, ages 20-39.Hosted by Columbia University, invited to play are neurosurgeons from the following institutions:
| Columbia University | Cornell University |
| New York University | Mt. Sinai School of Medicine |
| Harvard University | Yale University |
| The Johns Hopkins University | Albert Einstein College of Medicine |
| Emory University | Duke University |
| Penn State University | University of Pennsylvania |
| University of Utah | Dartmouth College |
| Thomas Jefferson | Northwestern University |
| Barrow Neurological Institute | University of Florida |
| University of Alabama |
The event has various sponsor levels including platinum, gold, and silver. All funds go to Columbia University to advance research for pediatric brain tumors. For additional information, to inquire about sponsorship or to make a donation, visit www.ColumbiaKidsNeuro.org.
About the event:
The 6th Annual Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament
Saturday, June 6th, 2009, 9am – 7pm
New York City’s Central Park
Available for Interviews:
Dr. Jeffrey N. Bruce is a leading authority on complex tumors of the brain and skull base. He leads a multidisciplinary effort as Co-Director of the Brain Tumor Center and Director of Skull Base Surgery specializing in the surgical treatment of gliomas, meningiomas, pituitary tumors, skull base tumors, craniopharyngiomas and pineal tumors. His surgical expertise includes extensive experience with minimally invasive techniques and stereotactic surgery as well as surgical alternatives such as radiosurgery. This broad expertise allows treatment to be tailored and optimized for individual patients according to their needs. As Co-Director of the Brain Tumor Center, Dr. Bruce leads an NIH-funded translational brain tumor research effort with interests in immunotherapy and drug delivery systems. In addition to his laboratory research interests, he is actively involved in experimental clinical protocols for the treatment of brain tumors.
Dr. Ricardo J. Komotar is Founder of the Columbia University Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Fund. Currently a senior neurosurgery resident at Columbia University, Dr. Komotar graduated summa cum laude from Duke University and received his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with highest honors. Author of nearly 200 peer-reviewed scientific articles, book chapters, and invited editorials. Dr. Komotar has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health as well as other national and regional grants. Dr. Komotar has also been an invited presenter at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. In addition, Dr. Komotar serves as an ad hoc reviewer for both Neurosurgery and the Journal of Neurosurgery.
12-year-old Pediatric Brain Tumor Patient Dan Palumbo and/or his Parents Kim and Lenny and/or his surgeon Dr. Neil A. Feldstein
In the summer of 2006, Dan Palumbo was diagnosed with a brain tumor called a Craniopharyngioma. "The care that Dan received at Columbia Presbyterian was like no other, the surgeons, resident surgeons, and nursing staff were a bunch of compassionate, dedicated and special people. Dan is doing well today with some issues that are associated with his tumor. The journey that we are on will be endless but we truly feel in our heart that we owe it all to the care that Dan received at Columbia Presbyterian." Kim and Lenny Palumbo
(Full Story Below)
Segment Ideas Include:
- Interviews with Dr. Bruce & Dr. Komotar
- Interview with Patient Dan Palumbo and his parents, as well as Dr. Feldstein
- Interviews with members of the New York Yankees (pending their approval)
- Pre-shoot at Columbia and the other 20 top medical centers across the country, internal/external shots, related patient stories and documentaries
- Crew on-site at the 6th Annual Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournamen
- Interviews on-site with team members, event organizers, sponsors
Dan Palumbo’s Story
Dan is an average 12 year old boy, loves being with his friends, loves sports, and has a passion for the New York Yankees. Dan was experiencing headaches for quite a while; he would vomit from the headaches occasionally. Migraine headaches tend to run in our family so we thought Dan was suffering from migraine headaches. By the end of 4th grade Dan’s headaches became more frequent. We had an appointment with a new neurologist because Dan also has a learning disability and mild ADD, making it difficult for him to focus in school. We told the doctor about the headaches and she said lets do an MRI.
On June 22, 2006 Dan had an MRI, that’s when our lives were changed forever. The doctor had us back in her office in less than two hours. She told us our son has a growth in the center of his brain. We were devastated we couldn’t believe this was happening to us. Our son who is so full of life had a brain tumor called a Craniopharyngioma. After about one day of total disbelief, we got ourselves together and started on a journey to find the best care for our son. We had endless doctor appointments in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. After several opinions, some devastating and some making us feel uncomfortable we ended our search in New York. On July 4th weekend I called Dr. Feldstein’s office crying, asking the receptionist if I could make an appointment, she put me on hold and was back in a minute, she told me Dr. Feldstein would see us that afternoon. We packed up and off to Columbia Presbyterian we went. We met Dr. Neil Feldstein and a resident doctor. We knew this was the doctor who was going to perform Dan’s brain surgery. He sat with us for over an hour explaining what was going to be done and what the treatment plan after the surgery would be. Dr. Feldstein was going to take as much of the tumor out of Dan’s brain without jeopardizing vital organs such as his pituitary gland. We felt very confident in Dr. Feldstein.
On July 10, 2006 Dan was scheduled for his brain surgery. The surgery would be a total of 10 hours. We were quite emotional that morning and all we wanted was for our son to come out of surgery the way he went in. Dr. Feldstein told us we could call into the OR as much as we wanted and that’s what we did, that’s what made us get through the day. After Dan’s surgery Dr. Feldstein met with us and told us his surgery was a success! He couldn’t remove the entire tumor, but he got enough out to relieve the hydrocephalus. Dan spent four days in the ICU; his total stay at Columbia Presbyterian was eight days. After Dan’s surgery we went to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for 6 weeks of Proton Beam Radiation Treatment.
The care that Dan received at Columbia Presbyterian was like no other, the surgeons, resident surgeons, and nursing staff were a bunch of compassionate, dedicated and special people. Dan is doing well today with some thyroid issues that are associated with his tumor. He receives MRIs every three months and we are happy to say there was slight shrinkage to the remaining tumor.
The journey that we are on will be endless but we truly feel in our heart that we owe it all to the care that Dan received at Columbia Presbyterian. We look back on the past year with a smile and we know that deep in our hearts Dan will be fine. He truly is our Hero!!!!!!!
Kim and Lenny Palumbo
