Nearly 200 people attended the 2006 Working Mother of the Year
awards breakfast in New York City in May, and all were captivated by a
9-year old boy named Sam Berns, who told the audience a very animated
story about bumping his nose while sledding with his mom.  Sam's
mother, Leslie B. Gordon, MD, PhD, was honored as the founder and
medical director of The Progeria Research Foundation (PRF), receiving a
standing ovation for her tireless work.  

Also receiving an award for her ability to manage a successful career
and still put motherhood first was Actor Susan Sarandon who,
ironically, played the role of the mother in Lorenzo's Oil,
a story that has been compared to that of Dr. Gordon.  "I want to
thank Susan." said Leslie, "In the first months of Sam's diagnosis and
the formation of The Progeria Research Foundation, I would think of
that story and it got me through some really tough days."

PRF's mission is to discover the cure and effective treatment for
Progeria, a fatal rapid aging disease that causes children to die by
their early teens from heart disease - the same heart attacks and
strokes that kill millions of people every year, worldwide. 
Scientists now know that further research in this field can help us
learn more about adult heart disease and the aging process that affects
us all.

In just seven years, PRF has done a tremendous amount to help save
these children.  In 2003, PRF accomplished its first mission
goal—identifying the gene that causes Progeria.  And now PRF is in
the midst of raising $2 million to fund the first-ever Progeria drug
trial.  For the first time, there is a possible treatment...or
even cure...for children with Progeria.

This is the best hope for Sam and other children with Progeria to live
long and healthy lives.  To find out how you can help, please
visit www.ProgeriaResearch.org.