| The Fishbein Family IC Research Foundation is entering its fifth year of promoting and funding research on interstitial cystitis. The Foundation’s mission is twofold: to find the causes of, and a cure for, IC; and to relieve discomfort in patients until that goal can be achieved. Many of the Foundation-funded research projects have gone on to receive National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding. The importance of this cannot be overstated since NIH funding allows researchers to further pursue the work they began thanks to initial Fishbein Foundation funding. |
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| Bob and Laurie Fishbein | |
Why the Fishbein Family IC Research Foundation was Begun
Laurie Nelson Fishbein had never heard of interstitial cystitis until a few years ago when her daughter, Kara, who was barely 20 years old, began to experience unexplained symptoms of urinary pain, frequency and urgency. As Kara’s condition worsened, the Fishbeins went from doctor to doctor, feeling increasingly frustrated and helpless while seeing their daughter suffer. Eventually they obtained a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis. Kara tried every known treatment protocol, but her condition failed to improve. Kara’s identical twin sister Beth then began to have symptoms of IC, too.
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Finally, after speaking with Dr. Vicki Ratner, President of the Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA), the Fishbeins decided to establish a foundation that would endow research into this debilitating disease. "Scientists need to understand how devastating this disease can be, both to the patients and their families," Mrs. Fishbein, President of the Fishbein Family IC Research Foundation, says. "The impact on the patient’s life as well as the lives of those around her is immeasurable. Imagine being a 20-year-old and not being able to live the way you want to because of chronic pain and discomfort." |
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| Kara Fishbein Goldman and Steve Goldman | |
The Results of Their Funding Efforts
The Fishbeins decided to create the Foundation in 1997. Since then, the Foundation’s contributions to IC research have had a dramatic impact on IC research. In funding year 1998, 62.5 percent of Fishbein Family IC Research Foundation pilot research recipients subsequently received NIH grants that were directly related to their pilot research grants. In funding year 1999, fifty percent of Fishbein pilot research recipients subsequently received NIH grants that were directly or indirectly related to their pilot research. This is an exceptionally high percentage for both years, and is a reflection of the generous amount of funding provided by the Fishbein Family IC Research Foundation; the excellent work of the researchers; the dedication and expertise of the scientific review committees; and the ICA’s ongoing networking within the research community. We anticipate that many projects funded by the Fishbein Foundation for the years 2000 and 2001, once completed, will result in additional NIH funding, as IC becomes even more firmly established in the research community.
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$375,310.00 was spent by the Fishbein Foundation for pilot research grants for years 1998 and 1999. This has yielded approximately $5,150,799.00 in NIH funding for grants that were directly related to the Fishbein pilot research projects. Approximately $2,273,397.00 in NIH grants were funded that were indirectly related to the Fishbein pilot research grants. This totals over $7 million in NIH funding to date, a remarkable figure!
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| Kara Fishbein Goldman and Beth Fishbein | |
The Fishbein Family IC Research Foundation has been an exceptionally successful program. Among the highlights have been Dr. Susan Keay’s on-going work in isolating a urinary marker (APF) that is unique to IC patients; Dr. Deborah Erickson’s work on urinary markers; Dr. Jack Warren’s work on the genetics of IC; and Dr. Michael Chancellor’s work with gene therapy for IC. The June 2001 Supplement to Urology is a testament to the tremendous progress made in the field of IC research over the past few years. The Fishbein Foundation has been an important contributor to this progress.
The ICA is proud to play a significant role in the Fishbein Foundation by: evaluating the grants for relevance to IC research; participating with the review committees and giving a voice to IC patient concerns; networking with the IC research community and generating new ideas; and providing nearly twenty years of expertise in this field.
The Fishbein Family IC Research Foundation has had a major impact on IC research. On behalf of the ICA, all IC patients, NIH and the AUA, we are all enormously grateful for the interest, enthusiasm and support of the Fishbein family. The ICA looks forward to working with the Fishbein Foundation in the future as we strive together to find a cure for IC.