Feb 21, 2009 7:50 pm US/Central
Doctors Mix Music, Medicine To Find ALS Cure
BOSTON (CBS) ―
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The Longwood Symphony Orchestra is a critically acclaimed orchestra made up of doctors and other medical professionals.
WBZ
A Boston family is teaming up with a unique orchestra made up of doctors to raise money to help find a cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
Dr. Lisa Wong is a pediatrician but she's also a violinist for the
Longwood Symphony Orchestra, reports CBS station WBZ-TV.
The LSO started in 1982 and is now a critically acclaimed orchestra made up of doctors and other medical professionals.
Dr. Lisa Wong explains, "I realize diagnosing an illness and working on a piece of music is not that dissimilar and notes on a page and data doesn't mean anything until you pull it all together, so there is music in medicine."
The LSO is performing a concert to benefit the
ALS Therapy Development Institute, which was started 10 years ago by Stephen Heywood and his family.
His poignant battle with the fatal disease was chronicled in a documentary called "So Much So Fast."
The Institute has raised more than $50 million so far to help find new treatments for ALS.
Stephen's widow, Wendy, explains, "It's amazing. When we started it was just family and friends helping us and now it's growing to reflect people all over the world.. They want to see a cure."
The Heywoods will also be exhibiting some of Stephen's artwork at the concert.
Wendy explains," Stephen was an artist and a builder and he was an example of how art and science music gels together."
The LSO will perform at the New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall in Boston on Saturday, Feb. 28 and plays for several other medical organizations throughout the year.
To learn more:
Visit
Longwoodsymphony.org
Visit ALS-TDI, at
www.als.net
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
CBS News Interactive: Healthwatch
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