Past News

Elliott Gould Narrates New DVD Promoting Awareness of Most Common Genetic Disease Facing U.S. Jews.

Thursday October 20, 2:36 pm ET

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 20, 2005--The National Gaucher Foundation (NGF) is distributing a popular new DVD presentation, A Message to Elijah that promotes awareness of Gaucher disease, the most prevalent genetic disorder facing the American Jewish population.

Narrated by popular actor Elliott Gould, A Message to Elijah explains the causes, symptoms and treatment for Gaucher disease, while exploring the lives of three individuals with Gaucher disease of different ages and lifestyles. Since the DVD's debut in September 2005, more than 5,250 copies of A Message to Elijah were ordered by visitors to the NGF website and by participants in special Gaucher disease awareness events throughout the United States.

"This informative, heartwarming presentation has struck a chord with viewers because it addresses an important medical issue and deals with the lives of real people," said NGF President Rhonda Buyers. "A Message to Elijah shows how awareness and proper diagnosis of Gaucher disease can lead to treatment, which enables those who have inherited the disorder to pursue active, productive lives."

According to current medical estimates, the most common form of Gaucher (pronounced Go-shay) disease -- Type 1 -- occurs in one out of every 450 to 600 births of Jews of Eastern and Central European ancestry. More than 90 percent of the American Jewry is descended from this geographic/religious subgroup, also known as Ashkenazi Jews.

While less prevalent outside the Ashkenazi Jewish population, the disorder can affect anyone, regardless of ethnicity, age or gender.

Gaucher disease is caused by an enzyme deficiency, creating an excessive accumulation of lipids in bone marrow and various body tissues. Today, it can be treated and brought under control using an intravenous infusion.

Although only one in every 100 to 200 people in the general population may be carriers of a gene mutation that causes Type 1 Gaucher disease, as many as one in 10 Ashkenazi Jews carry this inactive genetic trait. Carriers are not affected, but are capable of passing it along to future generations. When two parents are Gaucher gene carriers, each of their children has a 25 percent chance of inheriting the disease.

Michael Margolis, a Los Angeles-based television producer who also is being treated for the disorder, created the 21-minute presentation to generate greater awareness of Gaucher disease, particularly among Jews throughout the United States and their physicians.

Margolis explained that A Message to Elijah is an important new vehicle to inform others - particularly in the American Jewish community - that they may have inherited the genetic disease. It also teaches potential carriers and individuals who may have Gaucher disease about getting accurate diagnosis and treatment in the form of an intravenous infusion, which has been available since 1991.

The presentation's namesake, Elijah Gumm, is a teenager living with Gaucher disease who has never known the difficulties of the disorder because he has received proper treatment from the time he was first diagnosed. Elijah's acceptance of his health situation serves as a poignant counterpoint to vignettes about the two adults who describe the pain they suffered from Gaucher disease, prior to the availability of treatment.

"Elijah will never know the torment of Gaucher disease and others can experience the same relief by getting proper medical care," Margolis said. "That's the point of A Message to Elijah. If we can build greater awareness of Gaucher disease, we can spare thousands of people from needless discomfort by getting them properly diagnosed and treated."

To obtain copies of A Message to Elijah and learn more about Gaucher disease, contact the National Gaucher Foundation at 1-800-925-8885 or visit the organization's website at http://www.gaucherdisease.org.

The mission of the National Gaucher Foundation is to find a cure for Gaucher disease by funding vital research, programs to meet the ever-increasing needs of patients and families, as well as promote community/physician awareness and education programs.

The NGF offers a variety of services and programs, including regional educational meetings and international conferences. The NGF also provides critical financial assistance to individuals with Gaucher disease through its CARE and CARE+PLUS programs.

Contact:
National Gaucher Foundation, Miami
Rosina Cristalli, 800-541-7549
E-Mail: rosina@gaucherdisease.org