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April 13, 2001/Nisan 20, 5761, Vol. 53, No.28
Celebs join Parkinson's fight
MARK L. BERMAN
Special to Jewish News
This is not your ordinary slugfest. In this bout the stakes are far higher than in any championship boxing match.
The principal combatants? Parkinson's, a degenerative disease that afflicts more than one million individuals in the United States alone. Its opponents are all people who must deal with it on a daily basis. This involves Parkinson's sufferers, their loved ones and the medical community.
The odds are in favor of those involved in the struggle, who include Muhammad Ali, Michael J. Fox, Janet Reno and the Pope. However, the likelihood of a quick knockout blow is slim.
This has been a grueling contest, with a number of steps forward followed by an occasional reversal. But progress clearly is being made.
The primary local arena is the Muhammad Ali Parkinson's Research Center of the Barrow Neurological Institute. The Institute is part of St. Joseph's Medical Center in Phoenix. Currently serving 4,000 people with Parkinson's, the Center is directed by Dr. Mark A. Stacy. Two of the primary contributions of the Center are the AliCare Program and the AliProject. The former provides medical care for indigent Parkinson's patients in Arizona. The latter provides a national database on the disease.
The Ali Center is a major site for research on Parkinson's. A highly promising project focuses on deep brain stimulation (DBS), a surgical technique for alleviating some of the symptoms of the disease, which is a slowly progressive condition that affects a small area in the brain known as the substantia nigra.
Degeneration of the cells there produces a reduction in a chemical known as dopamine. When enough of the cells die, the symptoms of Parkinson's begin to appear. These include tremor on one side of the body and generalized slowness of movement.
The causes of Parkinson's are not yet fully understood. Heredity appears to play a role in some cases, as well as exposure to certain toxins. More men than women have Parkinson's, which typically manifests itself around ages 55-60.
The Ali Center is closely linked to the Fight Night Foundation. Chaired by Phoenician Jimmy Walker, this organization is the guiding force behind Fight Night, now in its seventh year.
Fight Night is an annual event - held this year March 17 at the Arizona Biltmore. Its major purpose is to enhance public awareness of Parkinson's. It is also a significant fund-raiser for vital research ultimately aimed at finding cures for the disease. Since its inception in 1994, Fight Night has raised nearly $4 million for charity.
Numerous celebrities strongly support Fight Night and its mission. Those attending Fight Night VII included Ali, Fox, Larry King, Chris Evert, Steven Seagal, Evander Holyfield, Bo Derek, Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson, Matt Williams, Jake Plummer and Meadowlark Lemon.
Hosted by King, a significant portion of Fight Night VII was devoted to conferring honors on deserving individuals. Fox received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award (personally presented by Ali) for his intense dedication to the Parkinson's cause. Evert received the Muhammad Ali Sports Legend Award. Johnson garnered the Sports Achievement Award. Music producer David Foster was given the Muhammad Ali Entertainment Award. Receiving awards for business achievement were Starbucks Chairman and CEO Howard Schultz and Yahoo! President and CEO Jeff Mallett.
The entertainment, produced by Foster, featured such top rank performers as musicians Kenny G. and Hootie and the Blowfish. Another attraction was a mock boxing contest with Holyfield and Seagal as the combatants.
Fight Night VII was a huge success from many perspectives. Dr. Padma R. Mahant, a neurologist at the center, attended and was highly enthusiastic about its significance for Parkinson's disease (PD) research.
"It was a great event," she says. "Celebrity and local support was fantastic. It will enable us to continue our work here at the Center in helping our indigent PD population and continuing our research. The collaboration of Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox is especially encouraging in terms of our hope for finding a cure for PD."
A Personal Note:
I waited patiently for the principal parties to walk down the red carpet and enter the building where Fight Night VII was held. The electricity in the crowd was palpable. I stationed myself close to the path as the excitement grew.
Ali, Fox, and Walker suddenly appeared and the onlookers went into a near frenzy of applause.
For reasons too numerous to mention, I have revered Ali for more than three decades. My enormous respect for him is due in no small measure to the way he has dealt with his own physical afflictions, and for his support of efforts to put an end to Parkinson's.
Now he was slowly moving down a line of well wishers, stopping to shake a hand, pat a face, give a peck on the cheek, or otherwise convey affection and appreciation. He was heading my way. Would he get to where I was standing or would he veer off in another direction?
He stayed on course.
Minutes later he stopped in front of me and we simultaneously reached out our hands. I grasped his hand - the hand of my embattled but persevering hero. This was an act of the utmost simplicity, but it filled me with joy.
Mark L. Berman, PhD., is a Phoenix-based licensed psychologist and a fight fan.
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