Encouragement. Happiness.Inspiration. Hope. The MakingHeadway Foundation offers all thisand so much more to children withbrain and spinal chord tumors andtheir families. This non-profit isdedicated to the care, comfort, andcure of these children.Based in <strong>Chappaqua</strong>, the MakingHeadway Foundation was establishedin 1996 by Edward Manleyand his wife, <strong>May</strong>a, along with ClintGreenbaum, whose children underwenttreatment for brain tumors.“Although we didn’t know it at thetime, we began to see symptomsthat Cynthia had a brain tumorwhen she was nine,” She was growingmore slowly, was always thirsty,and wasn’t gaining weight. It wasn’tuntil she reached fourteen and thefirst CAT scans were available thatwe saw she had a brain tumor,” saidManley. Cynthia underwent surgery,chemotherapy, and radiation, and isa survivor, but not without continuingmedical <strong>issue</strong>s.Through their experiences, Manleyand Greenbaum discovered traditionalhospital-based medical programsfailed to provide essentialhumanistic services enabling childrento reintegrate physically andemotionally with his or her family,school, and peer groups. They feltthese children needed more thanthe finest medical care. Thus, thefoundation’s mission is to counterfear and discomfort with laughterand love; to replace confusion andbewilderment with understanding;and to make headway through eachimpasse to a place where the joy ofbeing a child and the joy of being aparent are nurtured and shared.The late Dr. Fred Epstein, pediatricneurosurgeon and Dr. Jeffrey Allen,a pediatric neuro-oncologist, havebeen avid supporters, and in 1996asked Making Headway to provide achild and family-friendly environmentat the Hyman-NewmanInstitute for Neurology andNeurosurgery (INN) at Beth IsraelMedical Center in New York City. Atthe same time, the foundationestablished an Ongoing CareProgram to help families maintaincontinued access to support groups,counseling, educational consulting,and periodic bereavement groups.22 <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Chappaqua</strong> <strong>May</strong> <strong>2010</strong>Making HeadwayToward Care and Comfort to Cancer PatientsBY PAMELA BROWNPHOTOS BY TODD SHAPERAA young patient at NYU Langone MedicalCenter with an art project provided throughthe Making Headway Foundation.In 2004, Making Headway began apartnership with NYU LangoneMedical Center, working with itsStephen D. Hassenfeld Children’sCenter for Cancer and BloodDisorders. To make treatment visitsmore comfortable and engaging forchildren and parents, it providesfunding for a range of services,including a wellness program coordinator,recreation therapist, and aclinical research manager. A professionalclown, massage therapist,and yoga instructor add amusementand alleviate stress. Additionally,Making Headway provides beveragesand snacks for children to enjoywhile waiting for an appointment orto receive treatment.Since its inception, the foundationhas received an outpouring of supportand encouragement from families,friends, contributors, and survivors.Through this collaborativeeffort, it has expanded andenhanced the quality-of-life servicesoffered at the hospital and reachesmore families in the community.“For example, one of the psychologistswe used made us aware of thelearning difficulties all children experiencefrom chemotherapy and radiationtreatments,” said Manley. “As aresult, we added educational counselingto our array of services.” In 2008,the Foundation also established anendowed professorship in pediatricneuro-oncology at NYU. Dr. Allen isthe first holder of this position.Family Fun Day in <strong>Chappaqua</strong>For the past 17 years, the Manleyshave hosted Family Fun Day at their<strong>Chappaqua</strong> home. “We aim to providefamilies of children diagnosedwith a brain or spinal cord tumor aday of excitement away from thehospital, and to let them know thatthere are others facing the sameheartaches as they are,” said Manley.Hundreds attend the event includingvolunteers and performers.“The children love seeing their doctorsin bathing suits at the pool!”An accomplished Pocantico Hillsbasedphotographer, Todd Shapera,is a familiar face at the event, runningthe photo booth. He comes notonly to take photos, but as anincredibly valued volunteer. “Hecomes with cameras, computers, aprinter and three trunks of fancyold costumes, dresses up the wholefamily, takes their picture, and atthe end of the day hands them theirfinished photo,” said Manley.Recently, Shapera also volunteeredto take inspiring images of cancerpatients, their families, and thesocial service and medical staff atNYU Langone Medical Center.“The Manleys are rare, angelic people.In an unassuming way, without fanfare,or drawing attention to themselves,they’re dedicating their lives tohelping patients, their families, andthe medical community address adreaded disease," said Shapera."They’re doing it with warmth, withlove, and with professional skill toassure that their donors investmentscan have a profound impact.”Making Headway has become theManley’s life work. “It holds a specialplace in our hearts through thesatisfaction we receive from seeinghow we have helped countless familiesthrough their journey, from thepositive feedback we receive, andthe knowledge that we are makinga difference in other people’s lives.”To learn more about the MakingHeadway Foundation, visitwww.makingheadway.org or call (914)238-8384.
Worth a Thousand Words<strong>May</strong>a and Ed Manley transform their garden in <strong>Chappaqua</strong>, NewYork into a magical place each Father's Day, to bring happiness tochildren and families served by their Making Headway Foundation.Performers helptransform theManley's<strong>Chappaqua</strong> gardeninto a magicalplace eachFather's Day,to bring happinessto childrenand familiesservice by the MakingHeadway Foundation.A patient and therapy dog at at NYULangone Medical Center, NYC. The dogand other vital social service programsfor pediatric patients and their families are provided with supportfrom <strong>May</strong>a and Ed Manley's Making Headway Foundation.TODD SHAPERA is based in Pocantico Hills.His photography has been publishedglobally. Todd combines elegant BarMitzvah, wedding, and portrait photography,with global documentary projects forfoundations and publications. In a profile,Professional Photographer magazinewrote that Todd "is driven by a passionto capture the inner beauty and resilienceof individuals just about everywhere onearth.” See: www.ToddShapera.com.To sign up for his newsletter: emailTodds@cloud9.net<strong>May</strong> <strong>2010</strong> <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Chappaqua</strong> 23
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