Barrow Magazine - Volume 21, Issue 1, 2009

A magazine for the friends of Barrow Neurological Institute of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center • Volume 21, Issue 1, 2009

WORLD-CLASS CARESpecialized care attracts patientsfrom around the globe

Glitz, Glamour & GolfThe Big Three raise millions for Barrow

In this issue of Barrow magazine, you will meet six diversepatients who have one thing in common—each received life-changing care at Barrow Neurological Institute.Fifteen-year-old Ilya Morch of Denmark traveled half-way

around the world for treatment of a cerebral cavernous malfor-mation, an abnormal cluster of blood vessels in her brain. MarkCarlson came from Joliet, Illinois, for treatment of disc degener-ation in his neck that was robbing him of his ability to performhis job as an MLB umpire. Isobel Malloch-Brown, 15, flew fromthe United Kingdom for the treatment of structural problems in

her brain that were causing a variety of frightening symptoms.Their care, and the care of the three other patients highlighted in this issue's cover story, would not

have been possible without the support of benefactors like you.Benefactors are the lifeblood of Barrow, enabling our institute to advance the care of patients with

complex neurological problems. And in this issue of Barrow, you’ll read about some of the many indi-viduals and groupswho are contributing significantly to ourmission. First up in our magazine is an arti-cle about Barrow’s three biggest charity events—the BarrowGrand Ball, Celebrity Fight Night, and LouGrubb Friends Fore Golf. Other articles describe the important contributions of groups like StudentsSupporting Brain Tumor Research and the Parkinson Network of Arizona, and individuals like Leonaand Harry Helmsley.Finally, you'll learn how you can continue your support of Barrow by contributing to a project to

build the Ashlyn Dyer Aquatic Center or by including Barrow Neurological Foundation in your estateplanning.On behalf of the physicians, staff, and patients of Barrow, we want to thank you for helping us pro-

vide world-class care that is changing the lives of patients here and around the world.

Sincerely,

Robert F. Spetzler, MD Mary Jane CristDirector, Barrow Neurological Institute Chief Executive Officer, Barrow NeurologicalFoundation

Opening thoughts

On our cover: Ilya Morch, 15, traveled from Denmark to Phoenix forbrain surgery at Barrow Neurological Institute. Her remarkable storybegins on page 8.

V O L U M E 2 1 , I S S U E 1 , 2 0 0 9

Catherine MenorEditor/[email protected]

Justin DetwilerArt director/designer

Panoramic Press

Sally Clasen, Melissa Morrison,Sarah Padilla, Christina VanoverbekeContributing writers

Brad Armstrong; Gary Armstrong;Jeff Noble; D Squared Productions,Murphy/Scully Photography

Robert F. Spetzler, MDDirectorBarrow Neurological Institute®

Mary Jane Crist, CFRECEO, Barrow Neurological Foundation

Contents

B A R R O W

• H o w t o R e a c h U s •Barrow is published twice a year. We welcome your comments, suggestions and requests to be added to or deleted from ourmailing list. Call602-406-1041 or send mail to Barrow, Office of Philanthropy, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, 350 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix,AZ, 85013. Please include your name, address, and telephone number in all correspondence. Visit us online at www.SupportBarrow.org.

4: Glitz, glamour and golf Three big charity eventsraise vital funds for Barrow—Barrow Grand Ball, CelebrityFight Night, and Lou Grubb Friends Fore Golf.

9: World-class care Meet six patients who came toBarrow for the institute’s highly specialized care: Ilya Morchof Denmark, Mark Carlson of Joliet, Illinois, Michael Kerzieof Phoenix, Isobel Malloch-Brown of the United Kingdom,Kasey Gray of St. Paul, Minnesota, and Kylee Crews ofMaricopa.

22: Barrow Olympics Building fitness and teamwork.

24: Ashlyn Dyer Aquatic Center Special project teamworks to raise funds for new therapeutic center.

27: What’s happening around Barrow

28: Benefactor briefs

30: Research update

32: Students Supporting Brain Tumor ResearchStudent fundraisers visit Barrow to learn about brain tumorsurgery.

34: Estate planning Make sure your legacy has a voice.

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G L I T Z , G L A M O U R , A N D G O L F

They are the Big Three of Barrow NeurologicalFoundation (BNF) charity events—the BarrowGrand Ball, Celebrity Fight Night, and Lou

Grubb Friends Fore Golf. Each year between Januaryand May, these very different events raise a com-bined $3 to $4 million for Barrow NeurologicalInstitute.“The Barrow Grand Ball, Celebrity Fight Night,

andLouGrubbFriends ForeGolf are critical to our abil-ity to fund research,medical education, andpatient careat Barrow,” saysMary JaneCrist, CEOof BNF. “Whathasmade themso successful is that they give hundredsof Barrow friends and supporters away to contributeto the institute while also having a great time.”

The Barrow Grand BallThe queen of Barrow fundraisers is the Barrow

Grand Ball, presented in January by the BarrowWomen’s Board. Despite a sagging economy, the 2009Ball, held Jan. 17 at theArizona Biltmore, raisedmorethan $2 million. In all, the Barrow Grand Ball hasraised about $36 million for Barrow in just 44 years.“People fromother non-profits have askedmehow

wewere able to do it. I’ve told them it was because ofBarrow,” saysMarilynHarris, who co-chaired the Ballwith Judy Shannon.Shannon says, “Marilyn and I were concerned

about the economy. We are extremely grateful to ourlong-time and new patrons who we know stretchedto support the Ball this year.”

A surprise anonymous gift of $50,000 the night ofthe Ball put themover the $2-millionmark. “Thatwasa real celebration for us,” Shannon says.The BarrowWomen’s Board presents the black-tie

dinner and dance to a select crowd—just 324 attend-ed this year, typical for the Ball. “The fact that it’s suchan intimate ball makes it very special to those whoattend,” says Shannon.Harris and Shannonwould like to recognizeMary

EllenMcKee, chairman of theWomen’s Board, for herleadership in securing Ball commitments and the fol-lowing benefactors for their extraordinary support ofthe 2009 Barrow Grand Ball:• Doris and John Norton – underwriters of the Ball• Nancy and Lee Hanley and the Hanley FamilyFoundation – lead gift for the Center forAdaptiveBrain Function

• JohnW.Dawson – special gift for the BarrowChil-dren’s Cleft & Craniofacial Center and the Scien-tific Enrichment Program for Students

• Pat Goldman – Chief of Staff, renovation of Gold-manAuditorium.For ShannonandHarris, co-chairing theBarrowBall

was an opportunity towork together again on amajorfundraiser and to lead a groupofwomen theydescribeas “phenomenal.”“To be able to fundraise for an institution like Bar-

row is a privilege we all hold dear,” says Shannon.

(continued on page 4)

glitz, glamour, and golfCharity events raise vital funds for Barrow

by Catherine Menor

Dr. and Mrs. RandallPorter; Dr. and Mrs.

Robert Spetzler; and Dr.and Mrs. Nicholas

Theodore

This page, clockwise from topright: Dr. and Mrs. VolkerSonntag; Cathy and Tom Reahard;Linda Hunt, president of St.Joseph’s Hospital; Doris andJohn Norton; Judy Shannon andMarilyn Harris, Ball co-chairs,with John Dawson; Nancy andLee Hanley; Mary Ellen McKee,chairman of the Women’s Board,with her husband, Robert.

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B A R R O W6


Celebrity Fight Night

Guests see the glitz and glamourof Celebrity Fight Night—stars indazzling gowns, top singers per-forming live on stage, exciting pack-ages auctioned live, and, presiding over it all, Lonnie and Muhammad

Ali.What they may not see is the important work made possi-

ble by this blockbuster charity event.Celebrity FightNight is the primary source of funding for the

Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center (MAPC), a comprehensiveresource center that complements Barrow’s clinical carewith edu-cational, recreational, and support programs for patients and theirfamilies. TheMAPCmay be the largest support network in thecountry for patients with Parkinson’s disease and other move-ment disorders.“Celebrity Fight Night’s ongoing support makes a tremen-

dous difference for theMuhammadAli ParkinsonCenter,” saysAbraham Lieberman, MD, director of the MAPC. “Their sup-

port is the backbone of somuchofwhatwedo—fromeducation and exer-cise programs to support groups, the Parkinson Registry, andAli Care.Without the yearly contribution fromCelebrity FightNight Foundation,we would be unable to offer all that we do.”This year’s event on March 28 attracted a crowd of 1,200 and raised

$6.6 million for the MAPC and other non-profits.A high point of the event was the presentation of the following

MuhammadAli Celebrity Fight Night Awards to leaders in the sports,entertainment, and business communities who best represent the qual-ities of the Champ and his fight to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease:

Clockwise from top left: Lucia Micarelliperformed at Celebrity Fight Night XV;Kurt Warner received the SportsLeadership Award; Michael Phelpsaccepted the Sports Achievement Awardfrom Muhammad Ali; David Fosterdirected the CFN show; Muhammad andLonnie Ali presided over the event.

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• EntertainerAward –Oscar-winning actor, director,and producer Forest Whitaker

• SportsAchievementAward –OlympicGoldMedal-ist swimmer Michael Phelps

• Sports LeadershipAward –ArizonaCardinals quar-terback Kurt Warner

• Entrepreneur Award – businessman and philan-thropist Stewart Rahr.Rahr surprised the crowd by donating $2 million

toCelebrity FightNight during his acceptance speech.GRAMMYAward-winningmusical directorDavid

Foster directed a show that includedperformances byJosh Groban, Jordin Sparks, Jon Bon Jovi, MichaelJohns, Roy Firestone, Charice, LuciaMicarelli,WilliamJoseph, and Ethan Bortnick.The live auction featured such items as dinner at

Reba McEntire’s Beverly Hills home ($600,000), din-ner with Josh Groban in Beverly Hills ($375,000), anda one-of-a-kind customized TonyHawkDUB edition4WD JeepWrangler ($100,000).

Lou Grubb Friends Fore Golf

This year’s LouGrubb Friends Fore Golf (LGFFG)event took on a new dimension when it became partof a wedding weekend for a grateful Valley couple.

Melissa Austin and TylerButton,who tied the knot theday after the tournament,made the annual golf eventpart of their wedding week-end. About 15 members oftheir wedding party joinedthe happy couple at theLGFFG dinner onApril 23 atthe Scottsdale Resort.“We’ve been going to this

event ever sinceBarrowsavedTyler’s life,” explainsAustin.“We’re just so grateful toBar-row.”

Thanking Barrow iswhat LouGrubb Friends ForeGolf is all about. Barrow became the LGFFG benefici-ary after long-time Valley resident and businessmanLouGrubbunderwent surgery for a rupturedaneurysmat Barrow in 1986. “The golf tournament ismyway ofpaying them back,” says Grubb.LGFFG also raisesmoney for St. Joseph’sHospital

andMedical Center. Over the years, the popular Val-ley charity golf event has raised about $3.5million forBarrow and St. Joseph’s.This year’s event featured a “Starlight Gala on the

Plaza”kick-off dinner andauctiononThursdayevening

followed by an 18-hole golf tournament and awardsdinner on Friday at McCormick Ranch Golf Club.About 360 guests attended the dinner, and 204 golfersplayed in the tourney.Avolunteer squad of 47, direct-ed by Julie Alvarado, director of Philanthropic Inno-vation, and Ani Gurlekian, coordinator, made the

Below, guests enjoy a toast at the LouGrubb Friends Fore Golf dinner. Bottom,Tara Hitchcock and Dennis Sage wereemcees at the dinner.

Melissa Austin and Tyler Button.

event run smoothly.Major sponsors were

Angelica Textiles, DPRCon-struction, Health & WealthRaffle vendors, Dan and Kathy Grubb, PanoramicPress, Symmetry Software, and Xerox. Committeemembers were L. Don Brown, Scottie Button, DebbieCastaldo,Mary JaneCrist,Wayne S. Doran,HamiltonEspinosa, Booker T. Evans, Cassandra Groh, LouGrubb, William Hunt, Stuart Kirk, Gene L’Heureux,RogerMaxwell,MikeMedici, JoshuaMiller, LouiOli-vas, PhD, TomReahard,AnneRobbs,Dennis Sage, andDennis Scully. �

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Right, Lou and EvelynGrubb with emcee Tara

Hitchcock.

Participants of Lou Grubb Friends Fore Golf enjoyedParty Putt Golf, a cigar bar, dinner, and an 18-holegolf tournament.

B A R R O W 9

W O R L D - C L A S S C A R E

Barrow Neurological Institute is known throughout the world as the place to go fortreatment of the most complex spine and brain problems. As a result, patients come

from around the globe for care that is available at few other neurosurgical centers.By contributing to Barrow, you fund the medical education, research, technology, andclinical care that keep the institute at the forefront of medicine and that give hope andhealing to patients like the six you will meet on the following pages.

w o r l d - c l a s s c a r e

B A R R O W10


ilya morchTeen comes from Denmark for treatment of rare brain disorder

For 15-year-old Ilya Morch of Denmark, travelingto Arizona did not include the typical trip to theGrand Canyon. Instead, her visit to Arizona had

a much more significant purpose—a life-changingbrain surgery to treat a rare neurological disorder.Ilya successfully underwent treatment earlier this

month at BarrowNeurological Institute at St. Joseph’sHospital andMedical Center for a cerebral cavernousmalformation (CCM), a condition inwhich abnormalclusters of blood vessels are embedded in normalbrain tissue and can cause brain hemorrhaging.At age six, Ilya began experiencing severeheadaches

thatwould last for up to twoweeks. Shewas originallydiagnosed with cancer, but surgeons in Denmarkfound threeCCMs, benign lesions, thatwere the causeof her headaches. Once diagnosed, Ilya underwentfive neurosurgeries in Denmark. One malformation

proved too risky to treat since itwas located at the top of the brainstem. The risks of surgery includeda significant chance for paralysisand loss of speech and memory.

Signs of paralysis“We were concerned with the

risks of surgery andwanted towaitas long as possible to operate,” saysKarinMorch, Ilya’smother. “How-ever, small brain bleeds from themalformationbeganweakening theright side of Ilya’s body.”

InOctober, Ilya’s left eye began to droop, a sign thatparalysis was starting to form on the right side of herbody as a result of brain hemorrhaging. Ilya and herfamily had to decide between undergoing a risky sur-gery that could cause paralysis or becoming para-lyzed on her right side.After researching various neu-rological centers throughout Europe and the UnitedStates, Ilya’s family and physicians found Barrow tobe the best center for her treatment.“After Ilya lost movement of her left eye, we con-

sulted with her physicians in Denmark and deter-mined that surgery was the best option,” says Karin.“Wewanted to find the best place in theworld to treatIlya, and that’s when we found Barrow.”

Larger than a golf ball, themalformation and its dif-ficult location made Ilya’s case very risky, but RobertSpetzler, MD, director of Barrow and internationallyrenowned neurosurgeon, successfully removed themalformation using a surgical approach that wasresearched anddeveloped at Barrow. The lateral supracerebellar infratentorial approach separates the topand bottom compartments of the brain to reach its

deepest structures and providewider exposure to thelesion.Aunique laserwas inserted into the brainwitha fiber to core out a portion of the malformation.“The large size anddifficult location of Ilya’s lesion

make her case remarkable,” saysDr. Spetzler. “It’s themost dramatic example for which this approach hasever been used.”

All in the familyIlya’s cavernous malformations are an inherited

condition—her father and three siblings have alsobeen diagnosed with malformations. Her father wasnot diagnosed until after Ilya’s condition was identi-fied, and only she and one sibling havemalformationsthat are symptomatic.

“Dr. Spetzler heldmy life in his

hands and hasgiven me a

chance to livea full life.”Ilya Morch

by Carmelle Malkovich

B A R R O W 11


Ilyawill needphysical therapy, butshe is expected to make a full recov-ery and participate in activities thatshe’s never been able to do before.“I can participate in sporting activ-

ities now, and I’m looking forward tonot having a constant headache,” saysIlya. “Dr. Spetzler held my life in hishands and has given me a chance tolive a full life.” �

Robert Spetzler, MD,describes Ilya’s surgery to her

parents, Karin and Kristian.

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mark carlsonMLB umpire is back in action after neck surgery at Barrow

It’s not uncommon to read sports stories about how professional ath-letes return to action after recovering from career-threateninginjuries. But what are the odds of two Major League Baseball (MLB)umpires having the same neck surgery performed by one surgeon inthe span of a month to repair occupational injuries—and then reportback to work?Those game odds turned out to be fairly high for Mark Carlson and

a fellowMLB umpire who are making the calls again after having necksurgeryperformedbyneurosurgeonVolker Sonntag,MD, at BarrowNeu-rological Institute in spring 2008.

Pain in the neckWhile umpire injuries fly under the baseball-news radar, the risk of

harm is great despitewearing protective gear, particularly head andneckinjuries caused by repetitive and sudden movements, and explosivehits by bats, balls, and, sometimes, evenplayers. “You cango aweekwith-out getting hit, but then again you can get hit in every game,” Carlsonexplains of the random but certain hazards inherent with baseball offi-ciating.Now in his 11th year as an MLB ump, Carlson, 39, of Joliet, Illinois,

says itwasn’t an isolated incident on the field that caused his neck prob-lems but a series of factors. ”I’ve takenmultiple foul balls and fast pitch-es to the face andneck,which obviously caused someproblems, but that’sjust one part of thewear and tear of baseball. It’s also different beds andpillows, traveling on airplanes every three days—it all takes a toll on thebody,” he explains.About two years agoCarlson started experiencing numbness and tin-

glingdownhis arms andhands, anddecreasedmobility in his neck, prob-lems that an MRI eventually revealed were the result of disc degenera-tion. Carlson tried treating the symptoms conservatively with oral

by Sally Clasen


B A R R O W 13

steroids, physical therapy, and epidural injections toreduce the inflammation andpain caused by the dam-ageddiscs.His issues continued, however, to the pointwhere hehad limited range ofmotion and thepainwas“becoming unbearable.”Carlson and his co-worker were referred to Dr.

Sonntag,who sub-specializes in spine surgery. InMay,onemonth after his colleague’s surgerywasperformedbyDr. Sonntag,Carlson alsounderwent an anterior cer-vical discectomy with fusion (ACDF).The goal ofACDF is to relieve the pressure placed

by damangeddiscs on nerve roots and the spinal cordin the cervical (neck) area. During the procedure, sur-geons remove the degenerative or herniated discs andany bone spurs that have developed, and then graft,or fuse, the adjacent vertebrae with bone plugs andmetal plates. The fusion helps promote bone growthand stabilizes thevertebral structurewhere thediseaseddiscs were removed. ACDF is performed through asmall incision in the front of the neck.DuringCarlson’ssurgery,Dr. Sonntag removed three herniateddiscs andfused three levels, C5-C6, C6-7, and T1.

Career tune-up“Umpires are professional athletes, and they need

to be fine-tuned as well,” Dr. Sonntag says. “Mostpeople, regardless of their occupation, experience discdegeneration as they get older, but the nature of base-ball makes umpires more prone to injury and exacer-bates the degeneration process. If you don’t take outthe diseaseddisc, you’ll have a greater chance of insta-bility down the road and potentially abnormal cur-vature of the spine.”Dr. Sonntag adds that most patients who undergo

cervical fusion surgerywill regain full mobilitywhentheir treatment is combined with physical therapyand “extensive therapy to achieve a level necessary forprofessional umpiring.”While therewas no guarantee either umpirewould

return to his career, Carlson credits his return toworkto the ACDF surgery, along with his commitment topost-operative rehabilitation, which helped improvehis rangeofmotion and increase the strengthof his neckmuscles so he could umpire again. Yet, the degree of

Carlson’s degeneration and surgery complexity wasa sports career odds-beater.“Dr. Sonntag told me he had never performed a

three-level fusion on someonewho returned to a con-tact sport,”Carlson explains. “Almost immediately aftersurgery, I saw great improvement, and the numbnessand tingling were gone.”Carlsonmissed the entire 2008 baseball season.He

spent that time recovering and considering the possi-bility of having to look for a new job, but he was ableto report to full duty in 2009 startingwith spring train-ing.His hecticwork schedule includes 22 spring train-inggames andup to 150during the regular seasonwitha day off every three weeks.“My range ofmotion is awork in progress, though

it’smuchbetter than before the surgery. I feel great andI’m good to go,” he says. “I see myself working formany more years.” �

“Umpires are professional athletes, andthey need to be fine-tuned as well.”

Volker Sonntag, MD

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michael kerzieUnusual approach to lumbar fusion has pilot flying in no time

by Melissa Morrison

Michael Kerzie has spent more than half of hisnearly 50 years flying helicopters—for theU.S. Army and now for Air Evac, Inc., an air

ambulance company.A helicopter in flight can be as bumpy as racing a

dragster downanunpaved road. The rough ridewearsout the body’s shock absorbers just as itwears out thoseon a car. Eventually, the lowest disc in Kerzie’s backwasworn into oblivion, leaving bone to grind againstbone.Kerzie shrugged off the pain for three years, pop-

pingMotrin andunable to stay on his feet longer than15 minutes before back pain forced him into a chair.“It wasn’t acute pain, but your back is everything,

to the point where when you’re standing still youstart sweating because you can’t take the pain any-more,” he says.“It affected everything,” his wife, Cindi, adds,

“He’s an active dutymilitary guy, used to doing phys-

ical fitness, running, and whatever he wanted to do.And none of that was happening anymore.”Kerzie did everything he could to avoid surgery,

including inversion therapy, which meant hangingupside down every day to take pressure off his discs.Finally, Cindi, a trauma ICUnurse at St. Joseph’sHos-pital andMedical Center, convinced him to visit neu-rosurgeon Nicholas Theodore, MD.Dr. Theodore had joined the Navy as a medical

student and practiced as a doctor for the U.S. MarineCorps in Okinawa, Japan, and later as chief of neuro-surgery at theNavalMedical Center in SanDiego.Hehad treatedmanyhelicopter pilots fordegenerativediscdisease like Kerzie had.“When I look at Mike, I see somebodywho’s very

motivated,who’s trying to do his job but can’t becausehe’s incapacitatedwithpain,” saysDr. Theodore, direc-tor of the Neurotrauma Program at Barrow Neuro-logical Institute.

The surgeon determined that theanswerwas an anterior lumbar inter-body fusion (ALIF), a less familiarapproach to a fairly commonmalady,because it accesses the patient’s spinethrough the belly, not the back.“It’s a classic exampleof finding the

best treatment for a given problem,”Dr. Theodore says. “The neat thingabout that operation is we don’t gothrough any back muscles, so literal-ly hewasupwalking thedayafter sur-gery with no back pain.”Workingwith cardiovascular sur-

geon R. Jay Standerfer, MD, Dr.Theodore replacedwhatwas left of thedamaged disc between Kerzie’s L5and S1 vertebrae with two smallthreaded cages. The cages wereimpregnatedwith a protein intendedto encourage bone growth so the two

vertebraewould eventually fuse. Thenhe stabilized thearea with a plate.Kerzie had the operation onOctober 16, 2007.After

three days in the hospital and three months “to come

B A R R O W 15

out of the fog,” as he puts it, Kerzie was back to flightstatus. “I haven’t taken a pain pill since,” he says.He is also back riding bikes, swimming, andwake-

boarding at Saguaro Lake.Hewanted to thank Dr. Theodore by giving him a

helicopter ride, but another patientwhowas also apilotbeat him to it.“I don’t know what I can do to pay him back,”

Kerzie says. “I just knowhe basically has givenmemylife back.”For his part, Dr. Theodore says his reward came

when he ran into a flight-suited Kerzie in an elevatorat St. Joseph’s,whereKerzie andhisAir Evac teamhadjust dropped off a patient.“Nothingmademehappier than to see him able to

get back towork doingwhat hewants to do, which isbringing us more patients,” Dr. Theodore says. �

“I don’t know what I can do topay him back. I just know hebasically has given me my lifeback.”Michael Kerzie

Finally, Trish says, “we soughthelp on the other side of theAtlantic.”That journey took them first to

Washington, DC, for a diagnosis

and then to Barrow, where CurtisDickman,MD, operated to addressthe underlying structural prob-lems that were causing Isobel’sodd symptoms.Isobel’s health woes began in

January 2008 with headaches andwhat hermother, Trish, calls “dropattacks.” “She would crumple tothe ground like a rag doll, but notlose consciousness,” Trish explains.The odd symptoms multi-

plied—insomnia, tingling in herhands and feet, breathing diffi-culty, laryngitis, problems withconcentration.Trish andMark took Isobel to a

London hospital for five days ofobservation. She was seen by sev-eral doctors, including a neurolo-gist and neurosurgeon. An MRIdetected a Chiari malformation—a structural defect in the cerebel-lum, the part of the brain that con-trols balance—but Isobel’sphysicians did not believe that tobe the cause of her problems.They concluded thatmigraines

were to blame and recommendedrelaxation exercises and treatmentfor insomnia.But her parents were uncon-

vinced, and when Isobel beganhaving seizures, they knew theyhad to act.Trish, who along with the cou-

ple’s four children, was born inthe U.S., arranged for Isobel to seea neurosurgeon in Washington,DC, a personal friend of the fam-ily. The doctor reviewed the teen’s

B A R R O W16


isobel malloch-brownUK teen flies to Barrow for surgery for complex brain problem

by Catherine Menor

For a year, 15-year-old Isobel Malloch-Brown of the UnitedKingdom (UK) suffered troubling neurological symptomsthat sent her from doctor to doctor and left her parents,

Trish and Mark, desperate for answers.

MRIs and identified several structural problems in Iso-bel’s spine and skull.The Chiari malformation, which may have been

present at birth, had produced a smaller-than-normalcompartment for Isobel’s brain stem and cerebellum,putting pressure on these two structures. Complicatingthis problem was a basilar invagination, a rare con-dition in which the upper part of the second cervicalvertebra moves upward into the intracranial space,placing pressure on the brainstem and the upper cer-vical spinal cord.The couple took this diagnosis back to the Unit-

ed Kingdom where a medical panel concurred withthe neurosurgeon’s findings, clearing the way forfurther testing and possible surgery. But when Trishand Mark realized that surgery in the UK would bemanymonths away, they decided to turn once againto the U.S. medical system.Determined to get the best possible surgeon for Iso-

bel, Trish and Mark asked the DC neurosurgeon forhis recommendation. He referred them to Dr. Dick-man because of his reputation as one of the foremostneurosurgical experts on the area involved in Isobel’scondition.“Looking at what Barrow and Dr. Dickman have

done, it was obvious to us that he was the rightchoice,” Trish says.Dr. Dickman says that Isobel’s condition was a

complex one. “Her problemwas complicated by thefact that she had compression in front of and behindthe brainstem and spinal cord. This potentiallywouldrequire two separate surgeries—one through themouth to relieve the anterior (front) compressionand a second surgery through the back of the skullto relieve the posterior (back) compression and to fuse

her unstablespine,” Dr. Dick-man explains.“I was able to

solve her prob-lemwith a singlesurgery per-formed frombehind.”Dr. Dickman

and his surgical team operated on Isobel on Feb. 18.First they performed a Chiari decompression, a pro-cedure in which the back of Isobel’s skull and theupper two vertebrae were removed to relieve thepressure on the rear of her cerebellum, brainstem, andspinal cord. Then the team repositioned her skulland cervical spine in an extended position to relievethe pressure on the front of her brainstem and spinalcord. They used screws and rods to permanently fix-

ate these structures, and took bone grafts from Iso-bel’s pelvis to fuse the skull base and upper cervicalspine.“Her surgerywas successful in relieving her neu-

ral compression and correcting her deformity of theskull and cervical spine,” says Dr. Dickman.Isobel’s week-long stay at Barrow could not have

been better, says Trish. “I must say, the team aroundDr. Dickman and certainly the ICU staff were phe-nomenal. It’s a totally different level of care—notjust the surgery, but also the care afterward.”And Isobel? In themonths since her surgery, near-

ly all of her symptoms have gone away. She contin-ues to deal with headaches and exhaustion, but “I’mdefinitelymuch better than I’ve been in a long time,”she says.Themost difficult part of thewhole experience, Iso-

bel says,was being told that her conditionwas allmen-tal. “Iwas just getting really annoyed because the doc-tors kept saying, ‘You’ll be fine. You’re just gettingstressed out.’”Isobel has decided that she wants to reach out to

other children in theUKbattling the kind of problemsshe did. Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, hasasked her to be a Teen Ambassador and write anarticle about her experiences for her charity, Chil-dren in Crisis. �

B A R R O W 17


“Looking at what Barrowand Dr. Dickman havedone, it was obvious tous that he was the rightchoice.”Trish Malloch Brown


Kasey Gray had always been anactive guy who could depend onhis body to perform well during

athletic endeavors. At 38, he was livinghis dream as the coach of a high schoolbaseball team in St. Paul, Minnesota. Hispassion for the sport is reflected in thefact that he led his team to a 15-8 recordand number-one Class A ranking lastyear.So, when he badly fumbled a simple

throw to his wife in early July 2008, heimmediately took notice.“I didn’t even come close to throwing

the ball to her, and she was only 10 feetaway,” he says. “That’s when I knew something waswrong.”Just a fewdays earlier, Gray had slurred hiswords

while reading to his two children during a campoutin northernWisconsin. With two strikes in quick suc-cession, Gray knew it was time for a trip to the hos-pital.At a local emergency department, physicians dis-

covered the cause of Gray’s misthrow and slurredwords: a cerebral cavernousmalformation in his brainstem.A cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) is an

abnormal cluster of small blood vessels embedded innormal brain tissue. Thewalls of the vessels in aCCMare thinner than normal and prone to bleeding. InGray’s case, the CCMhad already bled some, causinghis symptoms.Continued bleeding from the CCM could be life-

threatening because the brain stem is the part of thebrain that conducts all nervous impulses from thebody to the brain and vice versa. Even a small bleed

into this tissue can cause seriousneurological problems,such as paralysis, vision change, speech impairment,and loss of consciousness.Gray’s doctor said that the blood might reabsorb

and theCCMmight not bleed again.He recommendeddoing a second MRI in six weeks.But the CCMdid not cooperate. Gray’s headaches

returned, and a string of other symptoms struckwitha vengeance—word slurring, right hand coordinationproblems, double vision, and foot dragging. Soon,Gray had to move downstairs because he could nolonger climb the stairs in his house.“Each day I lost a piece of me,” he says. “I felt like

I was losing control of my body.”On July 20, Gray landed back in the hospital when

his right side went totally numb. His condition wasworsening rapidly, anddoctors said heneeded surgeryright away.Minnesota neurosurgeon Eric Nussbaum, MD,

reviewedGray’sMRIs and toldhim, “This ismore thanI can take care of. You need to seeDr. Robert Spetzler.”Gray’s wife, Theresa, had contacts in Phoenix and

by Catherine Menor

B A R R O W18

kasey grayMinnesota baseball coach back in the gameafter a life-threatening brain condition

quickly made arrangements for her husband to fly to Barrow forsurgery. “Although I didn’t want to leave home and my kids, wefelt like we had to make this happen,” Gray says.By the timeGray arrived in Phoenix on July 22, hewasworried

that hewas at risk of dying. But as hospital staff wheeled him intoa neurosurgery suite the next day, hemetRobert Spetzler,MD,wholooked at him and confidently said, “This thing is located close tothe surface of thebrain stem, aplacewherewe canget it.Your chanceof a full recovery is better than 90 percent.”Dr. Spetzler and his team performed a six-hour microsurgery

to remove the raspberry-shaped tangle of blood vessels,which hadbled significantly, undoubtedly causingGray’s rapid deterioration.Using a surgicalmicroscope andmicrosurgical instruments,Dr. Spet-zler worked carefully to remove all of the abnormal tissue whilesparing normal tissue.After another week at Barrow, Gray flew back to Minnesota,

where he underwent two weeks of intensive physical, occupa-tional, and speech therapy in an inpatient rehabilitation center, andthen continued rehabilitation at an outpatient facility. Slowly heregained his strength and coordination.“I’mprobably 80 percent recovered,” saysGray.His right ankle,

shoulder, and hand remain weak, and he still slurs words some-times.But hehas recaptured the things that aremost important tohim—

time spent with his wife and children, and a job he loves.“I feel like I havemuch of my life back,” he says. “I still have a

way to go to do the things I want to do, but I’m back, and that’sall that counts. �

B A R R O W 19


Theresa and Kasey Gray with their children, Gabiand Mac.

Kasey Gray is coaching baseball again after a life-threateningcerebral cavernous malformation. Photos from Saint PaulPioneer Press.

B A R R O W20


Neurosurgeon Kris Smith, MD, has helped manypatients with difficult brain conditions duringhis years at Barrow Neurological Institute. But

few have touched him as much as Kylee Crews,whom he operated on 11 years ago.“She’s truly a miracle case,” says Dr. Smith. “She

drives, she graduated fromArizona State Universitywith honors. She’s totally functional… just an amaz-ing, amazing case.”The admiration is mutual. “God used Dr. Smith’s

hands todowhat heneeded todo,”Crews says. “Itwasa second chance at life for me because I didn’t have alife before.”CrewsandDr. Smithmetwhen shewas just 16. Since

two years of age, Crews had suffered from epilepsy.Seizures—sometimes only a few aday but sometimesas many as 15—made the child’s life difficult anduncertain. Crews remembers her first day at school asthe day she tripped, fell, and had a seizure.The problem was that Crews had been born with

only one functioning brain hemisphere. Sometimebefore her birth, an artery in her left hemisphere hadbecome atrophic, Dr. Smith explains, starving a largepart of that half of her brain.The left hemispherewas so damaged that it did lit-

tle beyond causing seizures. But because the brain isvery elastic andable to compensate fordeficits, the righthemisphere took over for both sides, and, with extraeffort, Crewswas able to domost of the things others

take for granted.Having epilep-

sy meant thatCrews had to takemore than a dozenpills every day. Itmade learning andfitting in harder. Itmade Crews self-conscious andsometimes with-drawn.Crews took

some special education classes and somemainstreamclasses; in themainstream classes, she learned to sit atthe back of class so other people wouldn’t noticeshould she have a seizure.“I wasn’t a typical person,” Crews says. “Acade-

mically, I couldn’t be an average child. I had very few

friends.My friendswere the oneswho really knewmeand got past the seizures.”The last straw forCrews cameas shenearedher six-

teenth birthday. Everyone she knewwas getting a dri-ver’s license or talking about getting one. But whenCrews asked her doctor to sign the paperwork sayingthat shewas fit to drive, he declined and told her therewas nothing more he could do, since medication wasnot controlling the seizures.He referred her to Barrow.Aneurologist at Barrowgave the teen three options:

more medications, a pacemaker implanted in herbrain, or surgery.“I just sat there a good 15 or 20 seconds and flashed

back overmy life and said, ‘Go aheadwith surgery,’”

Crews recalls. And later, as her neurosurgeon, Dr.Smith, told her of all the deficits surgery could cause—vision, speech, and memory loss—“I wanted to say‘Stop talking! I just want to drive.’”The surgery Dr. Smith performed involved dis-

connecting the left hemisphere from the right to stopcommunication between the two.Dr. Smith ponderedthe life-changing deficits the surgery would likelycause, and after much thought and consultationwithothers at Barrow, decided to disconnect thewhole lefthemisphere—except for the occipital lobe, the part ofthe brain responsible for vision.

kylee crewsRadical brain surgery gave woman a second chance at life

by Catherine Menor

“I was...shocked thatI had woken up. I could

answer the nurse’squestions. I checked myeyes, and I could see.”

Kylee Crews

Itwasnot an easydecision, saysDr. Smith. “Wewor-ried that if we tried to preserve her vision, she mightstill have seizures.”Dr. Smith used a minimally invasive procedure

that he developed at Barrow to disconnect the lefthemisphere from the healthy right hemisphere, leav-ing the occipital lobe connections intact. The surgerywas performed through one small incision and tooksix hours.Crews rememberswaking up in the intensive care

unit after the surgery. “I was lying there shocked thatI hadwoken up. I could answer the nurse’s questions.I checked my eyes, and I could see.”Dr. Smithwalked in later and told her “I got every-

thing—nothing more and nothing less.”

Sixmonths after her surgery, Crews took the last ofher anti-seizuremedication andpassedherdriver’s test.With each accomplishment, her confidence has grown.She credits her parents—who told her “Do your best,and you’re going to find your ownuniqueway”—herfriends, and her faith for her remarkable journey.“I lovemyself, and that’s something if you’d asked

me 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have said,” says thisyoungwoman,who is now27 and looking forward toher tenthhigh school reunion. “I’ll alwaysbe challengedinmy life, and that’s okaybecausewhen I’mchallengedand I succeed, I feel better aboutmyself. I can do any-thing.” �

B A R R O W 21


A post-operative MRI shows the areaof Kylee Crew’s brain that wasmaldeveloped. The image also con-tains evidence of the minimalapproach used in disconnecting thetwo hemispheres.

B A R R O W22

B A R R O W O L Y M P I C S

barrowolympicsBuilding fitness and teamworkby Sarah Padilla

Ask a neurosurgeon to describe his or her week,and there’s one word you’ll almost certainlynever hear: “relaxing.” Words like “grueling”

and “intense,” on the other hand, are pretty com-mon. So, one would think that at week’s end, mostneurosurgeons would prefer to kick back with theirfeet up.At Barrow, however,many residents and attending

physicianshave adifferent idea ofwhat itmeans to kickback. These diehards trade in their scrubs to becomeweekend warriors—joining their colleagues for a 50-to 100-mile road ormountain-bike ride and an intensevolleyball match nearly every weekend.What began years ago as a way for Barrow Direc-

tor Robert Spetzler, MD, to encourage camaraderieand physical fitness among the neurosurgical teamtoday has taken on a life of its own. In addition to thenearly weekly bike rides and volleyball games at Dr.Spetzler’s house, the neurosurgery programalso hostsan annual Barrow Olympics, a rim-to-rim GrandCanyon hike in May, and the Hike from Hell in Sep-tember.What somemight consider excessive, Dr. Spetzler

considers necessary. “I’ve always felt that to be yourbest as a surgeon, you need balance in your life, and

forme, it is fitness,” he says. “Not only do these phys-ical adventures fulfill the desire to be fit, but they alsoclear your mind to be ready for the next major case.Forme and formany, physical outlets are key tomain-taining equilibrium.”The weekend crew includes neurosurgeons, resi-

dents, and fellows, as well as an assortment ofresearchers, nurses, and friends. Phil Pomeroy, Barrow’svice president of Neurosciences, regularly partici-pates, and some vendors have also become involved.Brad Burling, a Barrow account specialist for a

medical technology company, joined his first volley-ball game in 1999 to help cultivate his business rela-tionships. Ten years later, he participates in theweek-ly bike rides, the Barrow Olympics, and the annualhikes. Over the years, many of those initial businessrelationships have turned into close friendships.“Being able to see into this smallwindowof every-

one’s life outside of work creates a bond that makesus all closer,” says Burling. “The neurosurgeonsworkin such an intense field, and the fact that they chooseto spend their free timewith their colleagues says a lotabout their friendships.”Strong relationships are a critical component to a

program like neurosurgery, inwhich colleagues spend

B A R R O W 23

B A R R O W O L Y M P I C S

not only hours, but years, together in very high-stresssituations. It’s also important to familymembers,whocan benefit from each other’s support.That’s one of the drivers behind the Barrow

Olympics,which draws asmany as 100 participants—including residents, fellows, attendingphysicians, andfamily members—to the homes of Dr. Spetzler andVolker Sonntag,MD, each spring. This year’s three-dayevent—Barrow’s 21st and primarily organized byDr.Sonntag—was held the weekend of April 17.In addition to being a unique bonding experience,

the Barrow Olympics offers this competition-drivengroup another opportunity to highlight the best ofthe best. In past years, the event pitted residents againstattendings;most years, it’s BarrowversusUCLAor theUniversity of Utah. The activities include everythingfrom rod cutting (a procedure often used in spinalsurgery) to soccer, track, baseball, basketball, bike rid-ing, swimming, and Frisbee football.But regardless ofwhich teamhas themost points—

or the least bruises—at the end of the day, Barrowalways comes out on top.“When you look at theNeurosurgeryDepartment

and at Barrow as a whole, you’ll notice a sense ofcamaraderie that is trulyunique,” saysDr. Spetzler. “All

of our activities are designed to help cement the rela-tionships among the residents and among their fam-ily members. We’re not only creating a positive workenvironment, but also lifelong friendships.” �

Last year, chief residents Elisa Beres, MD, andPeter Maughan, MD, participated in theArizona Ironman, a grueling 2.4-mile swim fol-lowed by a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-milerun. Not to be outdone, Robert Spetzler, MD,challenged them to the longest bike race, theLOTOJA. This 206-mile mountainous race startsin Logan, Utah, and finishes in Jackson Hole,Wyoming.Although fully aware that the busy chief res-

identshadmuch less time to train,Dr. Spetzler tookgreat pride in beating his Barrow competitionand finishing first place in his division by amar-gin of 40 minutes.“It was an exhilarating event,” he says. “Ten

hours on a bicycle is definitely a long time, but theadrenalin rush, the beauty of the surroundings,and the intense commitment requiredmade it allworthwhile.”

B A R R O W24

A S H L Y N D Y E R A Q U A T I C C E N T E R

Ateam at St. Joseph’s is working to raise funds tobuild a new aquatic therapy center for patientsat St. Joseph’s and in the community who

would benefit from this valuable rehabilitativetherapy.Christina Kwasnica, MD, the team’s physician

champion, says because Barrow Neurological Insti-tute has one of the Southwest’s leading rehabilitationprograms, it needs this valuable therapy resource.“Barrow neurorehabilitation needs this pool to

continue to help our patientswith spinal cord injuries,traumatic brain injuries, and other illnesses andinjuries,” she says. “The aquatic environment unlocksmuscle spasms and allows for a feeling of weight-lessness, which is both therapeutic and enjoyable.”

One family’s lead giftThe center will be named theAshlynDyerAquat-

ic Center after a young woman who was the victimof a hit-and-run accident while running through thePresidio in San Francisco in March 2006.After spending 10 days in the hospital on life sup-

port,Ashlyn passed away as a result of her severe trau-matic brain injury. She was 27 years old.TheDyer family lives inCalifornia andPhoenix and

decided theywanted to leave some kind of legacy forAshlyn in both places. They started theAshlyn DyerFoundation in California to help raise awarenessabout traumatic brain injury andhavemade a generouslead gift to Barrow Neurological Foundation’s cam-paign to build the Ashlyn Dyer Aquatic Center.“Phoenix has been good to us. A lot of the money

that’s been given to our foundation comes from

Phoenix, andwewant a chance to give it back,” saidAshyln’s mother, Marsha Dyer.Marsha says thatAshlynwas an avid swimmer and

that if Ashlyn had lived, she likely would have beenusing the pool at Barrow as part of her rehabilitation.

Why aquatic therapy?Therapeutic exercises performed in water can be

beneficial for a variety of individuals with muscu-loskeletal and neuromuscular disorders. Aquatic-based therapy augments traditional land-based ther-apy by offering an ideal setting to initiate treatmentfor patients who have weight-bearing restrictions,difficulty controlling the torso, which is needed forbalance, or excessive pain that is exacerbated by thepressure of body weight.Resistance from the water during exercise pro-

vides a safe environment for addressing strengthen-ing, movement, and postural retraining.Clinicians at St. Joseph’s attempt to incorporate

aquatic-based interventions into treatment plans forpatients of all ageswith a variety of diagnoses: stroke,brain injury, spinal cord injury, back pain syndromes,injuries requiring restricted lower extremity weightbearing, and other musculoskeletal dysfunction.

Existing pool problemsWhile Barrow has a pool used for aquatic thera-

py, clinicians’ attempts to fully utilize these treat-ments are hindered by some problemswith the pool:• The location of the current pool on 7th Avenue isnot close to any of the rehabilitation treatmentareas: the Bruce and Deborah Downey Neuro

by Christina Vanoverbeke

ashlyn dyeraquatic center

Special project team workingto raise funds for therapy center

B A R R O W 25

A S H L Y N D Y E R A Q U A T I C C E N T E R

Rehabilitation Center, the Center for TransitionalNeurorehabilitation, or Outpatient Rehabilitation.This means patients often must board a van andbe transported to and from the pool—a task thatcan be difficult and that wastes critical rehabilita-tion time.

• The design of the pool area is not conducive to ses-sions during the summermonths because it is notenclosed, leaving patients exposed to the elements.Therefore, the pool is utilized only a few monthsout of each year because of extreme temperatures.It also may be shut down abruptly due to storms.

• Another drawback to the existing pool is that it wasnot designed for therapeutic use and so does notaccommodate peoplewith special needs. For exam-ple, it does not have all of the special lifts, slopedfloors, or sunken ledges thatwouldmake using thepool easier for rehabilitation patients.

Help build the new centerTheAshlynDyerAquatic Center for rehabilitation

services at Barrow will be tailored to fit the needs ofthe patients using it. Some of the planned features forthe center include:• Perhaps most importantly, an enclosed and cli-mate-controlled facility for use year round.

• Two lifts somore patients can get in and out of thepool at the same time.

• Stairs customized to suit individuals with specialneeds. The current pool was once a hotel pool andhas short, steep stairs that are difficult to use.

• A different pool cleaning system that is safer forpatients. Chlorine-based systems can be dangerousto special-needs patients because toxic fumes oftencollect near the water’s surface, resulting in indi-viduals breathing them in during therapy.

• Locker rooms to allow patientsand families to change on site.TheAshlynDyerAquatic Center

also would serve more than theinpatients and outpatients needingneurological rehabilitation at Bar-row. The new proposed location onthe south side ofMerrell Street couldconveniently serve Children’s Reha-bilitative Services, Parkinson’spatients, orthopedics patients, theArthritis Foundation, and Ryan’sHouse, a palliative and hospice carefacility for children.Members of the project team

include co-champions E. JeffreyWalsh, Christina Kwasnica, MD,

and Kathy Kramer; Sr. MadonnaMarie Bolton, GregAnderson, Steve Ast, Kelly J. Barr, Phil Coyle, Mar-sha and Bruce Dyer, Gee Gee Entz, Bill Gullekson,Christina Hall, Renee Johnson, HermanOrcutt, TomReahard, Guy Inzalaco, and Michelle M. Matiski.“Aquatic therapy offers yet another dimension

of care for patients with many different diagnoses,”says Kramer. “Once built, the Ashlyn Dyer AquaticCenter will offer an important component for peopleneeding rehabilitation services. I’m so proud of the

members of the committee who arededicated to raising themoney to seethe project through from start to fin-ish.”For information about how you

can contribute to this important ini-tiative, including available namingopportunities, please call BarrowNeurological Foundation at 602-406-3041 or email Kramer [email protected]. �

Gift of Cashto SJF or BNF

$10,000

CharitableGift Annuity

$10,000

Charitabledonation to

SJF/BNF$10,000

(approximate value)

Pat Smith, 68 • 6% Annuity

602-406-3041 • SupportStJosephs.org • SupportBarrow.org.

• Pat gives $10,000to St. Joseph’sFoundation (SJF)or BarrowNeurologicalFoundation (BNF).

• SJF/BNF investsthe gift.

• Pat receives a contractguaranteeing annuitypayments of $600 peryear for life (estimatedlifetime payout is $12,660).

• A portion of the annuitypayments is tax-free.

• Pat also gets a charitabletax deduction of $3,469.

• Upon Pat’s death,the remaining fundsin the CGA arereleased for use inhospital programs.

Charitable Gift Annuities:Certainty in Uncertain Times

If the stock market has you down, a charitable giftannuity (CGA) may be just what the doctor ordered.It’s a great way to get guaranteed income during retire-ment—while giving to a charity you care about.

Below is an example of how a charitable gift annuityworks:

*This educational illustration is not professional tax or legal advice. Consult a tax advisor about your situation.

B A R R O W 27

N E W S

Julie Alvarado will enhance philanthropic givingto St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, BarrowNeurological Institute, and the Scott and Laura EllerCongenital Heart Center as the Foundations’ newdirector of Philanthropic Innovation.“In this new century with new economic times,

we must all be looking at ways to partner to benefitour community,” Alvarado says. “I want St. Joseph’sto lead the way in those endeavors.”Alvarado is charged with looking at new ways of

increasing and continuing unique corporate partner-ships in order to better serve those in need in the com-munity. She has 20 years of experience in corporate andcommunity relations, which shewill use to serve cor-porate partners in innovative ways.Among her responsibilities are raising funds and

cultivating relationshipswith local and regional busi-nesses and professional sports franchises, and coor-dinatingmajor events likeLouGrubbFriends ForeGolfand Celebrity Fight Night.Alvarado received her bachelor’s degree fromAri-

zona State University and her master’s in adult edu-cation and leadership fromOttawa. Previously, shehelddevelopment and communications positions withMotorola, Arizona State University, medical equip-

ment companies,and an advertis-ing agency. Shec o - f o u n d e dAZMED Moni-toring Solutions,a medical equip-ment provider.Alvarado has

ledpanels or proj-ects for the His-panic CollegeFund, Valley ofthe SunUnitedWay,ArizonaAssociation for Foster andAdoptive Parents, Chandler RegionalMedical Center,and other non-profit organizations. She is a graduateofValley Leadership andwas a recipient of thePhoenixBusiness Journal’s 40 under 40 award.

Since opening more than 20 years ago, the Cran-iofacial Center at Barrow Neurological Institute hastaken care of thousands of children born with com-plex congenital or acquired craniofacial disorders. TheCenter has grown into one of the nation’s largest in pro-viding comprehensive clinical, diagnostic, surgical,educational, genetic, and support services. Patientswho come to St. Joseph’s donot graduate from theCen-ter’s program, but instead receive a lifetime care com-mitment.A campaign is underway to raise $1.1 million to

expand and update the Center’s space and services,

reducing wait times for families and enabling coreservices to be consolidated in one location.To more accurately represent its core patient pop-

ulation, theCenter has been renamed the BarrowChil-dren’s Cleft & Craniofacial Center.For information on how you can contribute to the

Barrow Children’s Cleft & Craniofacial Center, callthe Foundation Office at 602-406-3041 or [email protected].

Foundations welcome new staff member

what’s happening around barrow

Craniofacial center has a new name and a fundraising campaign

B A R R O W28

B E N E F A C T O R B R I E F S

benefactor briefsTheLeonaM. andHarry B.HelmsleyCharitable Trusthas awarded a $1-million grant to BarrowNeurologi-cal Foundation (BNF) for the construction and equip-ping of a research facility at BarrowNeurological Insti-tute. The facility, which includes a wet lab and acutting-edge 7Teslamagnetic resonance imaging (MRI)unit,will beused for collaborative researchbetweenAri-zona State University and Barrow in the areas of neu-roimaging, neurorehabilitation, neural engineering,motor control, movement disorders, brain and spinalcord trauma, cancer, and neuroprotection.“This generous grant is especially significant, given

the downturn in the economy,” says Mary Jane Crist,CEO of BNF. “It supports a facility that will make thelatest imaging technologyavailable to scientists through-out our community.”The grant to BNF is part of about $136 million in

grants recently announcedby the trustees of TheLeonaM. andHarry B.HelmsleyCharitable Trust to charita-

ble organizations in theU.S. andelsewhere. It is the firstround of grants from the Trust since Mrs. Helmsley’sdeath inAugust 2007. TheTrust is administeredby fivetrustees selected byMrs. Helmsley.In a statement accompanying the announcement of

thegrants, the trustees said, “Weare continuing thephil-anthropic legacy ofMr. andMrs. Helmsley. Through-out their lives, theHelmsleyswere committed to help-ingothers, through the innovations ofmedical research,responding to those in need during critical times, andin other areas. We now have the privilege of continu-ing their goodworksbyproviding supportwhere itwillmake a difference.”The Trust is supporting a diverse range of organi-

zations, with a major focus on health and medicalresearch. In addition, theTrust is supportingprogramsin human services, education, and conservation. Thecomplete list of grant recipients is available atwww.helmsleytrust.org.

The LeonaM. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust

The Parkinson Network of Arizona (PNA) recentlydonated$15,000 to theMuhammadAliParkinsonCen-ter to support the Center’s programs and services.PNAbeganmore than threeyears agowhena small

group of individuals whose lives were somehowtouchedbytheCenter cametogether to thinkaboutwaysthat they couldhelp.“This is suchawonderful place forthe improvement of people with Parkinson’s,” sayspast president andmember John Yonushonis.The group has held five events that have generat-

ed $106,000 in donations to the Center and two sup-port groups associated with the Center.Abraham Lieberman, MD, director of the Center,

says he is grateful for the group’s support. “We’re veryhonored to be receiving thismoney.And I thinkwe’reworthy of receiving it. We’ve had 3,600 patient visitsin the last year.Wehave 40 to 60newpatients amonth,and they’re coming fromall over—Colorado,Wyoming,Utah, California, Mexico.”The group organizes two major fundraisers each

year—a jazz festival and a walk-a-thon. They raised$5,000 their first year, $10,000 the next, and $15,000 thisyear. PNApresident JackGoldwater says theyhope toattract 1,000walkers to their nextwalk-a-thon. “We’rebasically a fundraising committee and an awarenesscommittee for the Center.”

The Parkinson Network of Arizona

John and Ann Yonushonis

Your participation in the Health & Wealth Raffl e has helped create winners allover Arizona. In the past six years, more than 114,000 prizes have been awardedto Raffle participants, including cash, homes, trips, cars and so much more.

But the real winners are the patients of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Barrow Neurological Institute and everyone in Arizona who has benefitted from the life-saving patientcare, medical research and medical education that has received funds from the Health & Wealth Raffl e.

TO VIEW A COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS, GO TO HEALTHWEALTHRAFFLE.ORG

B A R R O W30

R E S E A R C H U P D A T E

Cameron McDougall, MD, an endovascular neuro-surgeon at Barrow, presented findings from theMar-guerite ClarkHobbs RupturedAneurysmTrial at theannual meeting of theAmericanAssociation of Neu-rological Surgeons (AANS) inSeptember2008.The trial,now in its fifth year at Barrow, has been designed todetermine whether traditional surgical clipping ornewer endovascular approaches are superior in thetreatment of ruptured cerebral aneurysms. Dr.McDougall andRobert Spetzler,MD, are co-principalinvestigators of the study.TheMargueriteClarkHobbsRupturedAneurysm

Trialmet its enrollment goal of 500 consentedpatientsin January 2007. Eachpatientwas randomly assignedto oneof two treatments: surgical clippingor endovas-cular treatment. The study is examining clinical andangiographic outcomes of the enrolled patients, aswell as the quality of life and economic impact out-comes of the two treatments. Six-month andone-yearfollow-upvisits have been completed, and three-yearfollow-up visits should be completed by December2009.Nancy and Lee Han-

ley have beenmajor sup-porters of the trial since itbeganatBarrow.The cou-ple’s generous donationsto aneurysm research atBarrow honor Nancy’smother,MargueriteClarkHobbs,whodied in 1979of a ruptured aneurysm.Their goal is to preventother people fromsuffer-ing traumaand loss fromruptured aneurysms.

research updateNeurosurgeon presents findingsfrom Marguerite Clark HobbsRuptured Aneurysm Trial

Nancy and Lee Hanley

Forecasting the futureof brain tumor treatment

Researchers and students from St. Joseph’s HospitalandArizona StateUniversity’sMathDepartment areapplying weather forecast technology to model andtrack the growth patterns of brain tumors.The technology allows researchers to studyvarious

growthpatterns of brain tumors and apply treatmentparameters to determine the best option for patients.It will forecast how a patient’s tumormay growwithdifferent treatment scenarios, help physiciansmake amuch more informed prognosis, and be used as apatient counseling tool.The research study beganwhen Barrow andASU

researchers used data from a collection of normalbrain images to create a life-like recreationof the brain.Theypositionedavirtual tumor in thebrain imageandapplied intricatemath formulas used inweather fore-cast technology topredict how the tumorwouldgrow.Once the virtual tumor began to grow, the

researchers resectedpart of the tumor andgave it theeffects of radiation and chemotherapy to see how thetumorwould respond.Apatient studywas eventuallyused to compare the tumor growth and outcomebetween thepatient and thevirtualmodel. They close-ly matched.“This study has resulted in themost accurate and

life-like recreation of the growth of malignant braintumors,” says Mark Preul, MD, Newsome Chair ofNeurosurgery Research at Barrow. “The technologyused in the study could pave theway for better treat-mentplans enabling improvedoutcomes forpatients.”The study will be published in Cell Proliferation

and is the basis for a National Science Foundationgrant submission. Barrow Neurological Foundationfunded the initial study.

B A R R O W 31

R E S E A R C H U P D A T E

With assistance from the classic book characterWaldoof Where’s Waldo? fame, researchers at Barrow haverecentlymade amajor advance in understanding howthe brain searches for objects of interest.Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD, and fellow

researchers StephenMacknik, PhD;JorgeOtero-Millan; XoanaTroncoso,PhD; and Ignacio Serrano-Pedraza,PhD, recently conducted a study ask-ing participants to find Waldo. Asparticipants searched, their eyemovements were simultaneouslyrecorded. Results showed that therate ofmicrosaccades—tiny, jerk-likefixational eye movements—dra-matically increased when partici-pants foundWaldo.“This discovery helps explain

human searching behavior, whichcan assist us in finding keys on acluttereddeskor recognizinga child’sface on aplayground,” saysDr.Mar-tinez-Conde.The central role ofmicrosaccades

in visual perception has been a high-ly debated topic among researchersfor decades. The results from theMartinez-Conde lab, which receives funding fromBarrowNeurological Foundation,mayhelp explain thecorrelation betweenmicrosaccades and search behav-ior, both in the normal brain and in brains with visu-al or eye-movement deficits.“We now know there is a direct link between

microsaccades and howwe search for objects of inter-est,” says Dr. Martinez-Conde. “This link can helpwith future advancements such as creating neuralprosthetics for patientswith braindamageormachinesthat can see as well as humans.”

Where’s Waldo?Researchers discoverhow we find him

Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD,and Stephen Macknik, PhD

B A R R O W32

S S B T R

Agroup of civic-minded teenagers is raisingawareness and money to help researchers learnmore about brain tumors. In return, they are

gaining knowledge about the brain and how it func-tions from the staff at Barrow Neurological Institute.Students SupportingBrainTumorResearch (SSBTR)

sponsored its 8th annualwalk-a-thon at Pinnacle PeakHigh School in Phoenix on March 7 to raise funds forbrain tumor research.

SSBTRisastudent-runorgan-ization founded in 2001. Eachyear, students in Arizona planthe annual walk-a-thon anddonate themoney raised to sup-port research at various institu-tions, including Barrow. Thisyear, awalk-a-thonalsowasheldin Tucson.The group raised $215,000

during this year’s event andreacheda fundraisingmilestoneof $1million sincebeginning thewalk-a-thon. BarrowNeurolog-ical Foundation is one of themajor beneficiaries of thisfundraising event and received

$55,500 from this year’s walk-a-thon. Since 2004, Bar-row has receivedmore than $225,000 from SSBTR.Barrowuses 100percent of themoneydonated from

SSBTR forbench (laboratory) researchand translational(spanning the lab to the clinic) research, all designed todetermineboth the causeof anda cure forbrain tumors.Thiswork is done in theNeuro-OncologyResearch

Laboratory at Barrow's InaLevineBrainTumorCenter

where the goal istounderstand theunderlyinggenet-ic mechanismsthat enable somebrain tumors tosurvive cancertherapy. This lab-oratory is defining the genes responsible for resistanceto currently available therapies, including chemother-apy and radiation.About onemonth before this year’s event, approx-

imately 30 SSBTRmembers visited Barrow to observeabrain tumor surgeryvia live, closed-circuit television.The students observed the removal of a menin-

gioma, a tumor that forms in the meninges, the areabetween the skull and the brain, and that is usuallybenign. Typically,meningiomasoccur inpeople ages 40to 60. They are twice as common inwomen as inmen.The surgical observation gave the SSBTR students

an opportunity to see how their contributions helpbrain tumor patients. Brain tumors are the leadingcause of solid-tumor cancer deaths among teenagers.AmyLindsey, a senior at PinnaclePeakHighSchool

who is interested in amedical research career, said theobservationwas a unique opportunity for her to learnmoreabouta subject she isvery interested in. “Iwasveryexcited,” she said. “I’ve never seen a surgery before.”SteveGlassman,who is a student government advi-

soratPinnaclePeakHighSchool, establishedSSBTRaftera friend of his from his home state of Massachusettsbecame involvedwith the Brain Tumor Society. Glass-manhadbeen looking for something thatwouldget hisstudents to becomemore civic-minded.

SSBTRStudent fundraisers visit Barrowto learn about brain tumor surgery

by Christina Vanoverbeke

B A R R O W 33

S S B T R

“It’s agreat cause,”hesays. “Itgets thestu-dents involved in community service, and itraises money to stop students from dying.”There are now more than 100 schools

involved in SSBTR, and the annual walk isby far the biggest event.“It’s beyond my wildest dreams how

much it has grown,” Glassman says. �

“I was very excited. I’venever seen a surgerybefore.”Amy Lindsey

B A R R O W34

P L A N N E D G I V I N G

estate planningMake sure your legacy has a voice

by Kathy KramerVice President, Leadership Gifts

Every year the vast majorityof Americans who die do sowithout having prepared a

valid Last Will and Testament.For the past three decades, the numbers have hov-ered between 70 and 80 percent.This statistic is especially astounding since state and

federal lawsprovide some significant incentives for thepreparation of awill. These incentives are designed tomake it easy for very personalwishes to be knownandfollowed—wishes that deal with child custody, prop-erty distribution, and a legacy of values. Not to men-tion the fact that, in many cases, a carefully plannedwill serves to actuallyminimize costs related to settlingan estate.What is it about the preparation of one’s personal

wishes—the purpose of the LastWill andTestament—that Americans avoid in such resounding numbers?

Awill is costlyIn many instances, a carefully prepared will does

have some attendant costs. This is especially truewhere complicated or larger estates are involved.However, a fewhundreddollars—or evenmorewhennecessary—pale in comparison to the cost of havingno will at all. Without a will, an estate may face themaximum in applicable probate costs and taxes. In theevent of any family disagreement over distribution,legal costs skyrocket. By the time settlement occurs,hundreds or even thousands ofdollarsmight havebeenlost. In some cases, heirs can actually end up bearingthe brunt of out-of-pocket costs. Having a will couldeven save you and your family money.

Distaste for legal documentsManyAmericans seem to have a built-in distaste,

evendistrust, for legal documents. They tend to be longand difficult to understand. A will is easily under-stood, however, when compared to the legal intrica-

cies that an estate without a will may experience.Attorneys will gladly provide an easy-to-understandsummary of the contents of a will to ensure that yourobjectives are met.

Too little property tomerit a willIt is easy for manyAmericans to look around and

feel their estate is small and does notwarrant the timeand expense of a will.After all, the headlines always highlight multi-

million-dollar estates. The truth is that everydaymanypeople die possessing much more than they realize.Whatmaybe amodest home today, a small investmentportfolio, or just the beginning of a savings account canenjoy significant growth in value before death.Whereno will exists, the state will determine distribution.

Life gets in the wayFinally, it is completely possible that the single

biggest reasonAmericans fail to prepare awill falls intothe “life just gets in the way” category. For some, it issimply the day-in-day-out routine that prohibits themfrom considering a will. For others, it is the realitythat nooneplans todie, or certainly, noone enjoysplan-ning to die. For another group, it may be rationalizedunder the “no one can know the future” reason, think-ing that somuch could change between today and thetime of death. What good could it do to plan today?

Please consider planningyour legacy todayCall my office at 602-406-3041 today for a freeWill

Planningbooklet. Then consultwith anattorney todraftyour will. Your will is your opportunity to articulateyour wishes, your values, and your legacy. �

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Barrow Magazine - Volume 21, Issue 1, 2009

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Transcript of Barrow Magazine - Volume 21, Issue 1, 2009