Rivertowns Couple Raises Voice Against Brain Cancer

Jodi Shapiro said her husband Michael started experiencing "weird sensations" on his right hand and arm last November. "At first, he thought it was Carpal Tunnel," the Irvington resident recalled. "He changed his computer and his desk at work."

But over the next two weeks, the symptoms escalated until he hcouldn't drive, hold a butter knife or even move his hand. The couple—whose two boys were at the time four months and a little over 2 years old—got an appointment with a neurologist the following Monday.

It was brain cancer.

Michael Shapiro underwent surgery almost immediately, but the doctors weren't able to extract the entire tumor.

"We were scared," Jodi Shapiro said. "But we weren't secretive about it. We needed the support from our friends in the community."

More than a half-year later, Michael Shapiro has undergone two craniotomies, and numerous sessions of chemotherapy and radiation. He is now taking a controversial drug called Avastin, which his wife thinks appears to be helping.

"With brain cancer, all you can do is try treatments to improve the quality and quantity of the patient's life," she said. "That's why getting funding for research is so important. You keep trying existing therapies until something new and better comes along."

Over the last year, the Shapiros and many other Rivertowns residents have become extremely active in the charity Voices Against Brain  Cancer, a nonprofit that seeks to  raise money and awareness for the fight against the devastating illness.

On Thursday night, Jodi and Michael were honored at Voices Against Brain Cancer's annual fundraiser in Manhattan—an event which many of their friends here in the Rivertowns helped plan and coordinate.

"We were all struggling with how we could help Jodi and Michael," said Ardsley's Arin Gornstein. "Because they believe so strongly in this organization, they asked us to get involved with the fundraiser. Since that was the way [Jodi] wanted us to help, we were going to do anything we could for the event."

Gornstein and Irvington's Tobi Spino and Maggie Kadro met with Darren Port, CEO of Powered by Professionals, the company organizing the event. 

"We started by distributing tickets to all the pre-schools in the area," Kadro said. "We put them in kids' individual cubbies."

Using their personal and professional connections, the women helped reach out to celebrities, models and food vendors to come to the benefit concert—and they devised a guest list of 300 people. In total, there were more than 1,000 at Thursday's concert, which boasted celebrity guest singer Marc Anthony. 

"The news was completely devastating," Kadro said. "It made us all come together. Anytime she needs anyone, Jodi has three people there. And she knows it."

Even before they started working on the fundraiser, the Shapiro's friends were there to help out with the kids, bring meals to the family and provide any support they can.

JCC on the Hudson members Dana Stern and Rebecca Luks came up with a "care calendar"—organizing who would bring meals to the Shapiro family in the weeks after Michael's surgeries. 

And Kadro said she has gone running with Jodi a few times a week since Michael's diagnosis because, "That's therapy for her. It's how she relieves all the stress."

"Our main focus now is raising money for a cure," Kadro said. "Nobody has any idea how Jodi stays so strong. This is the least we can do."

Even though her family was singled out on Thursday, Shapiro stressed that her dedication to raising public awareness of brain cancer is "not just about us."

"It's about letting people know about this fatal disease," she said. "I am a smart, educated woman from New York City—and yet, until this year, I knew nothing about it. We're trying to change that."

You can make a donation to Voices Against Brain Cancer here.