The Cavallos recently gave a $ 25,000
donation to infectious disease research
in honor of Zachary Bregman, MD, a
voluntary physician at Beth Israel. The
couple has been giving to Beth Israel
since 2002, helping to support such
services as the Division of Rheumatology,
the Jacob Perlow Hospice and the
Dr. Gerald J. Friedman Medical Intensive
Care Unit.
Their latest gift has its roots in events
that occurred over a year ago. Mrs.
Cavallo was in a New York City hospital
for several weeks being treated for a
chronic bone marrow disease when she
began suffering progressive neurological
problems. The physicians there
were at a loss for diagnosis and felt Mrs.
Cavallo had no hope for recovery. Mr.
Cavallo called his physician and friend,
Dr. Bregman, who is board certified in
internal medicine and pulmonary
medicine and has a diverse practice
specializing in diseases from asthma to
HIV/AIDS.
"As he was describing his wife's condition,
it struck me that it sounded a lot like a
neurological condition that we used to see in HlV/AIDS patients called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a life-threatening infection of the brain," Dr. Bregman explained. 'Although Mrs.
Cavallo didn't have HIV/AIDS, her
immune system had been compromised
as a result of her bone marrow condition
and its treatment. |
"I recommended to Vince that he ask her attending physicians to consider performing a brain biopsy, which is necessary to establish this diagnosis. This procedure was carried out and she did indeed have PML."
After careful consultation, Dr. Bregman then referred the Cavallos to a colleague of his, a neurologist at another New York City hospital, who is a major researcher in HIV/AIDS neuro-pathology involved in experimental treatments for PML. Mrs. Cavallo was transferred and started treatment immediately. Her condition stabilized within two days, and within one month, she had made a miraculous recovery.
"Basically, once you get PML, your life expectancy is 30 days. My wife's case is one in 500,000 and it's actually being considered for publication in a major medical journal," Mr. Cavallo said. "We're living with an absolute miracle over here, and we owe it in large part to Dr. Bregman."
Because the treatment used to treat Mrs. Cavallo was discovered as a result of HIV/AIDS research, the Cavallos decided to donate to HIV/AIDS research for the first time. Their gift will be used to help Dr. Donna Mildvan, Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, and her group at Beth Israel to define better laboratory tests, improve ways to evaluate patients and to optimize treatments.
"Research is a vital part of managing infectious diseases, particularly those that aren't easily recognized or cured," said Dr. Mildvan. "HIV/AIDS research benefits not only HIV-positive patients, but also those who may have different types of illnesses, as demonstrated with Mrs. Cavallo. We are hopeful that many more such examples will be realized in the future."
LEADING THE WAY
Continuum Health Partners
Beth Israel Medical Center
Summer/Fall 2006, Page 7 |
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