Body & Soul with Gail Harris

Help YourSelf
A Fitting Legacy
Five years ago, Leonard Zakim first envisioned a program that would combine traditional cancer therapies with alternative treatments. But for Zakim, dreams were not enough. Throughout his own illness, Zakim doggedly worked to lay the groundwork for such an institution. This year, The Dana Farber Cancer Institute is poised to open the Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrated Therapies. The center will offer cancer patients acupuncture, massage therapy and nutritional guidance, among other forms of complementary medicine. In addition, the Center will conduct clinical studies to measure the safety and efficacy of such treatments.

At a fundraiser held last year at Boston's Wang Center, Zakim gave an impassioned speech about the value such treatments had held for him and his family during his battle with bone-marrow cancer. "This gives us at least a sense that we're not just going to lie there and wait for something to happen to us. Whether we use it during or after treatment, there will now be a place at Dana-Farber where we as patients can get the type of assistance necessary to help us through conventional therapy. This will give us each some of our life back."

Ten weeks after that evening, over 1,800 mourners attended Mr. Zakim's funeral. Among those in attendance were Senator Edward Kennedy, Senator John Kerry, and former Labor Secretary, Robert Reich. In addition, religious leaders from many denominations paid their tribute to Zakim. He was later recognized by the US Senate for his charity work and tireless crusade against bigotry and racism. He is also remembered by the Dana-Farber family as a champion for all patients. Dana-Farber President David G. Nathan, MD noted, "There is little doubt that at Dana-Farber and in our communities, Lenny had a real and lasting impact, and we are all the better for it."

The Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrated Therapies is scheduled to open in late fall, 2000. Dr. David Rosenthal, MD, past President of the American Cancer Society, has been appointed medical director.

Program Description
Lenny Zakim
David Eisenberg, MD
Ken Anderson, MD
Michael Lerner, PhD
Peter Churchill, LMT
Help YourSelf
Tell Me More

Body & Soul is currently airing Monday-Friday at 7:00pm and 8:30pm on PBS YOU.
home | program list | tell me more | links | reading list | who we are | how it began | talk to us | companion book | program videos