By Dorothy Andries

Reprinted from the Pioneer Press Newspaper

February 22, 2001

Foundation donates $2 million for brain tumor research

The Rory David Deutsch Foundation raised more than two million dollars for brain tumor research in less than three years. It's a phenomenal sum of money, but it is even more dazzling since it was raised by a small family foundation in Highland Park. "We went to Durham, North Carolina Feb. 3 to present $2 million to the Brain Tumor Center at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center," Ross Deutsch said. "It is amazing what has been accomplished in Rory's name." Rory David Deutsch was an energetic seven-year-old, who loved to read, play Nintendo and go to movies. He was stricken with a brain stem tumor, and despite excellent medical treatment and care, died in July 1998 just three months after the tumor was discovered.

Immediate response

Deutsch and his wife Mindy decided immediately to set up a family foundation to raise money for research. "It was born out of love," he explained. "We wanted the foundation to be a testament to the type of child Rory was. It has become a calling for us."

Ross Deutsch has been a commodities trader for 18 years and when his colleagues heard about the foundation, they were mainly responsible for the swift outpouring of financial support, initially amounting to more than $100,000.

He paused. "You know everyone says that the people in the pits are cut throats, but they are [the] largest hearted, most loyal people with their own. They gave us their support financially and emotionally."

In addition to the big guys, lots of little folks became interested as well. "So many children came over and donated part of their allowance to the foundation," Deutsch said. "They had lemonade stands in the summer."

Because of Rory's age at his death and because so many children were interested in contributing, the Deutsch family decided its own benefit should be a family affair.

"It was a philosophy that we were trying to foster with our own children," added Mindy Deutsch, speaking about the couple's two sons - Robbie, 8, Rickey, 5 and daughter Reggi, who is almost two. "We wanted them to understand that they have to give back. That what they give in Rory's name will help some other child."

The Foundation's first benefit was in April of 1999. "We hoped to break even and we netted $570,000," Deutsch said. The most recent benefit was held Nov. 4 at the Windy City Fieldhouse, which raised more than $1 million.

Duke research

The decision to donate funds to Duke came in a round-about way. "I became acquainted with Mike Krzyzewski, the famous basketball coach at Duke, through a basketball camp," he explained. "We stay in touch and when Rory was diagnosed he called and asked us if there was anything he could do."

As funds mounted in the foundation, board members looked for a place to establish an endowment. "Coach K," who is on the board of the Brain Tumor Research Center at Duke, connected the Deutsch family with the university. "We wanted Rory's name to live on and we wanted the money to be well spent," he continued. "After investigating the program at Duke, we decided that's where the endowment should be.

"We are proud of that donation," he concluded. "We owe it to our supporters to show prudence with the dollars they have raised."

The researchers have their work cut out for them. According to [the Rory David] Deutsch Foundation information, pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death during childhood, and the most common type of pediatric cancer, the brain tumor, also has the highest mortality rate, three times greater than that of leukemia. About 2,000 new pediatric brain tumors are diagnosed in the United States each year.

Yet public and private support for pediatric cancer research trails that of other cancers, accounting for less than three percent of all funding in the war against cancer.

For information on the foundation, call (888) 919-RORY or visit Web site, www.roryd.org, which is constantly updated.