Patch Chat with Patti Tenaglia

Gandhi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Patti and Michael Tenaglia have personified this mantra. It takes a fortitude of spirit to transcend one's personal tragedy into a full-blown philanthropic initiative. 

For the Tenaglias their battle with esophageal cancer culminated into the formation of The Miracle Foundation.

Michael Tenaglia, who succumbed to this disease in 2002, didn't realize all of the dreams of the foundation. Yet he served as the impetus along with his wife Patti and the support of the community to improve the lives of cancer patients and find a cure.

The Tenaglias moved to Garden City in 1994 from Cape Cod. Michael, a charismatic man who lit up every room he entered, was asked by his employer, UBS PaineWebber, to take over the Garden City  office.  

Little did they know that New York would serve a greater purpose in their life as the home of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the world's oldest and largest cancer center.

Patti and Michael enjoyed Garden City. Michael became a fixture in the business community and coached soccer and football. Patti ran a household with four children and turned into a fervent PTA volunteer.

Life was good until 1998 when Michael received an esophageal cancer diagnosis.  At the time, Patti and Michael made a pact that they would cease reading statistics. They had been assaulted by sobering data that indicated only 1 percent of patients live four years after diagnosis.

This dynamic duo fought valiantly to beat the cancer and during Michael's remission over one and a half years they laid the groundwork for The Miracle Foundation.  

The Tenaglias gathered 11 of their friends to discuss their plan. Michael wanted to do something big. They felt lucky to have access to Sloan-Kettering but travel to Manhattan was arduous.  

"When you're fighting cancer you need every ounce of strength, we wanted to make it easier," said Patti. "Mike was very goal oriented and we came up with this idea to raise $1 million and ask Sloan-Kettering to build a treatment center on Long Island."

"Mike energized everyone. This was his dream and now ours," explained Joe Castronovo, one of the original friends and the foundation's president. "There is no doubt in my mind that the foundation would be bigger if Michael were alive.

"He brought together two of the most unlikely partners, a private and Catholic institution," said Castronovo. "Michael was a true giver and the community gave back. People can see their return on investment with us." 

The mission from day one: focus on cancer awareness, fund out-of-the-box research and improve patient care. 

In 2000 the foundation launched their first golf outing and they just completed their 11th this year. The fundraisers have been wildly successful bringing in as much as $300,000.  

Today, the foundation has granted over $3 million to the fight against cancer. In 2005  The Michael J. Tenaglia M.I.R.A.C.L.E. Pavilion opened, a 22,000 square foot cancer treatment center operated by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Center, located at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre. 

Dr. Bert Vogelstein has been awarded funding for his work on cancer-eating bacteria. His research has led to a Phase I clinical trial for end-stage cancer patients.  

"It's been rewarding to fund this research," Patti explained. "During Michael's illness, this is what we were looking for. We always thought that research was the avenue for a cure."

Grants have been provided for the development of an affordable DNA biopsy for breast cancer patients and a revolutionary ocular prosthetic to benefit retinoblastoma patients. These are just some of the many initiatives the foundation supports.

Michael was a natural born leader and visionary. He embraced the term "miracle" and quickly came up with the acronym: Making Inroads Against Cancer's Lasting Effects.  

Patti's support and endurance have continued to lead the foundation. She is quite humble about her role but she has donated countless hours and many during a very difficult time of her life.   

In the true spirit of their dedication to each other and their exemplary altruism, Patti shared: "It has been said that there is no greater honor than making a difference in someone's life and that is what we set out to do. Mike left me a beautiful legacy, a legacy of hope."