Two Families, One Mission

TWO FAMILIES, TWO SONS, ONE MISSION:  

FIGHTING BRAIN TUMORS.

The Have A Chance Walk is the story of two families – families connected by coincidence, by fate and by the desire to change the course of the fight against brain tumors.  The Roth and Lichtenstein families share a date in history that each will never forget.  On that day – October 1, 2003 – the Roths lost their son and brother Jeff as the Lichtensteins lost their son and brother Gary.  Both young men battled a glioblastoma multiform, the most aggressive form of brain tumors.

Although they did not know of each other at the time, the Roths and Lichtensteins were on parallel paths to ensure that their devastating losses would not be in vain.  Both families have worked tirelessly for much of a decade to fund research and care for those battling brain tumors.  The Roths founded Have A Chance, producers of the successful Have A Chance Walk to Fight Brain Tumors and the Lichtensteins founded Voices Against Brain Cancer (VABC), a foundation dedicated to funding medical research, and patient and caregiver support groups.  In 2006, both organizations hosted an inaugural fundraising event to begin to raise funds in the fight against brain tumors.  Now, in 2010, they join forces to continue their fight together, in Jeff and Gary’s honor and memory.

The Roth Family Story

When his son Jeff was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor at the age of 27, Dennis Roth dove into the world of brain tumors and attended conferences, read medical abstracts, and learned the who's who of doctors and specialists.  His intention was to be an agent in his son’s treatment while Jeff was still fighting.  Jeff was told he only had six to twelve months to live but fought the battle with his family’s help for another four years. Dennis strongly believed that because of the determination to find the most innovative therapies, Jeff lived long past his original prognosis, and in fact, passed from a stroke.  “We didn't just get him time, but quality of life as well,” said Dennis.

After Jeff’s passing, Dennis and his wife Arlene as well as their son Eric and daughter Jen made it their mission to share the knowledge they gained from their experience.  With their goal to raise awareness to a cause that was spoken so little about and begin building a community to support others who were affected by brain tumors, the family began Have A Chance from their home. Dennis envisioned that one day there would be prevention measures and a cure for brain cancer. He and his family dedicated an enormous amount of time and energy to their organization and created the Have A Chance Walk to Fight Brain Tumors.

Even though Dennis was lost suddenly to a heart attack in 2007, the Roth family continues its mission and his vision to make the cause a national priority and help families manage the long, costly and terrifying journey of a battle against a brain tumor. 

The Lichtenstein Family Story

Mario Lichtenstein became an activist in the fight against brain cancer at the onset of his son Gary’s aggressive tumor. Gary passed away at age 24; seven months after he learned of his diagnosis. According to his family and friends, Gary wasn’t afraid of anything and believed he could beat his brain tumor, which made his family and friends believe that too. Courage and faith are contagious, and during the brief course of Gary’s battle he helped redefine those words for all around him. Gary’s spirit helped his family to realize that there was no time for fear or sadness because there was simply too much to do.

Mario, his wife Dora, and sons Eric and Adam founded Voices Against Brain Cancer to find a cure by advancing scientific research, increasing awareness within the medical community and supporting patients and families afflicted with this devastating disease. Funding has been granted for research to institutions such as Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Harvard, Memorial Sloan Kettering, University of Michigan, Yale and many others. Specifically, VABC has began the Young Investigators Program at several of these institutions to support Medical Students in brain cancer research. VABC also sponsors support groups in New York City for caregivers and patients. Plans to bring these support groups national are in the making.

Although Gary’s life could not be saved, the family feels that the Foundation can save the lives of those who are still fighting and give their families the support they need.

Two Stories Become One

Even though they would not choose to be connected by such a heartbreaking coincidence, the Roths and Lichtensteins have both turned their grief into action.  And this year, their missions combine into one powerful force in the fight against brain tumors.  VABC will distribute the funds raised by the Have A Chance Walk to ensure that every dollar moves us closer to a cure.  Members of the Roth family will join the VABC board to keep Jeff and Dennis’s spirit and vision moving forward.

Unfortunately, Mario Lichtenstein and Dennis Roth never got the chance to meet.  They shared a passion and energy that sees challenges as only bumps in a long road to a cure for brain cancer.   The love of a son changed both of their lives forever and continues on in the next generation.  As Dennis’s wife Arlene says,  “If only Dennis were still here, the two of them would take over the world.”