On January 2, Andrew Karpen headed from his Connecticut residence to the New York headquarters of Bleecker Avenue Media. He was wanting to get a begin on what he figured to be essentially the most bold 12 months for the unbiased distribution firm he based in 2014. He had 11 movies set for launch, its most ever, and a Sundance Movie Competition journey to plan.
Karpen had been feeling a bit off, stumbling whereas he and his spouse performed pickleball with mates over the vacation, and a numbness in his proper leg made strolling a bit troublesome. At his desk that day, he out of the blue had issue typing along with his proper arm. He known as his physician, figuring an appointment within the coming weeks was sensible, earlier than Sundance. He was advised to get again on the prepare and head residence, instantly.
That was the final time life felt regular. A CAT scan and MRI revealed he had glioblastoma, a uncommon type of mind most cancers that’s aggressive, and sometimes deadly.
Andrew and his spouse Pam discovered a lifeline in Dr. John Boockvar, a neurosurgeon on the Mind Tumor Middle at Lenox Hill Hospital, a pioneer in treating glioblastoma, which is taken into account an incurable illness. The surgeon, whose work was featured in two Netflix docuseries, did greater than a wonderful job. Andrew and Pam, who had resigned themselves to a slim hope he’d be round to see his oldest son get married this July, simply acquired gorgeous outcomes. This following a 4 hour surgical procedure, and a course of chemotherapy and radiation.
“It takes a month after you end chemo and radiation to get your MRI,” Karpen advised me. “And two weeks in the past, I acquired my MRI, and we known as the physician. I’ll let Pam let you know the remaining.”
“There isn’t any proof of an lively tumor presently,” she stated they have been advised by Dr. Boockvar. “We actually by no means thought we might hear these phrases.”
Andrew and Pam are discussing his situation as a result of they’ve joined the host committee for the 2024 10th Anniversary Lenox Hill Mind Tumor Middle Gala going down Thursday, June 6 in New York. The gala is bought out, however they’re hoping to create consciousness for the illness and elicit donations in order that the middle can proceed its groundbreaking work.
The prognosis of glioblastoma is so rare that it doesn’t draw the good medical college students or the analysis funding as do different extra generally recognized cancers. The middle’s affiliation with The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Analysis and Chilly Spring Harbor Laboratories, provides it the experience of eight Nobel Laureates, however extra funding is required to advance the neuroscience analysis.
The Mind Tumor Middle at Lenox Hill Hospital and Dr. Boockvar have been not too long ago featured in two acclaimed Netflix docuseries – Lenox Hill and Emergency: NYC – which showcased the work that goes into battling a horrible prognosis.
It was a dangerous path chosen by Dr. Boockvar. The primary surgical procedure was comparatively transient, and the outlook not good. The primary surgeon couldn’t get deep sufficient into the mind to take away a lot of the tumor.
“It has been a street, I’ll let you know,” Pam stated. “Andrew drew a fairly unfortunate straw, I’m going to be sincere with you. Along with his glioblastoma, he had a double whammy in that the placement of the tumor was on his thalamus, which is deep within the heart of his mind and troublesome to entry. The [first surgeon was] fairly hesitant to even do surgical procedure in any respect. However I believe you realize Andrew nicely sufficient that he’s not somebody who sits again and lets issues occur to him. And with glioblastoma, in case you try this…you die fairly rapidly.”
The lack of motor expertise was a inform of how deep within the mind the tumor was.
“His tumor was sitting on his motor heart, which is why what was taking place to him was an apparent symptom,” she stated. “For some folks, a seizure is the factor that sends them to the physician. He by no means had a seizure. So at first they went in and tried to get as a lot of the tumor as they may, despite the fact that they have been reluctant as a result of it was so deep in his mind, sitting on the motor heart. They have been afraid they would depart him utterly paralyzed. And they also have been actually unable to get very a lot of the tumor in any respect, and the tumor itself was what was actually hindering his mobility.”
The primary surgical procedure was adopted by every week of chemo and radiation, however the couple didn’t just like the look of issues. That led them to Dr. Boockvar.
“His signs have been getting worse and I didn’t like what we have been seeing,” Pam stated. “And his docs weren’t actually responding to me. After which we discovered a brand new physician, as extraordinary a human being as he’s a surgeon. He stated, I actually suppose I might help you.”
One other surgical procedure was a danger.
“It’s a full craniotomy,” Pam stated. “There’s no laser. You’re getting into with instruments.”
Throughout the four-hour surgical procedure that adopted, Dr. Boockvar eliminated a lot of the tumor deep contained in the mind, and eradicated the remaining with one other course of chemo and radiation. And out of the blue, one of many stalwart executives within the unbiased theatrical movie enterprise was again, and fascinated by the prospect of dwelling.
I’ve identified Andrew since he was co-CEO of Focus Options, earlier than he peeled off in 2014 to launch Bleecker Avenue. We communicate usually, about issues involving the New York Soccer Giants and the unbiased movie enterprise, often in that order. Karpen has season tickets – I later discovered they got here from Pam, whose household has had them since 1938 – and he’s a fixture at most residence video games, tailgating and cooking up a storm within the MetLife Stadium car parking zone with fellow Large Blue followers. The Karpens have three kids, Josh, Zack and daughter Sloan.
When he began Bleecker Avenue, Karpen took lots of the Focus group with him; they’ve stepped up marvelously as he convalesced. Kent Sanderson, who was upped to firm president, has guided the group via an unsure second, via the markets at Sundance, Berlin and Cannes, and the discharge of 5 of the 11 movies in that point.
Whereas nonetheless unable to journey a lot, Karpen feels again in a approach that didn’t appear attainable in February.
“I’m strolling with a cane, so I’ve using my proper leg once more,” he stated. “I acquired again some use of my proper hand. I used to be opening and shutting it, however final week I misplaced it once more. So I don’t have a variety of use of my proper arm, however I’m in a position to take a stroll by the marina, and I’m doing the perfect I can.”
He’s additionally recirculating throughout the business.
“It took me a very long time to begin to have the ability to discuss to folks, to succeed in out once more,” he stated. “With the ability to have an actual dialog with you and be open about all the pieces and sincere about my life and what has occurred, means a lot. I’m so pleased to be again working, dwelling life. I would even go to town Thursday. I’m Zooming and FaceTime-ing and in contact with folks and re-engaging. This factor that occurred final week, the place there’s now no tumor…I imply, look, I nonetheless have the illness. Issues can occur. We simply don’t know whether it is months, years, or no matter.
“I’m grateful for my group that has stepped up as a result of all people believes on this firm,” he stated. “What I’ve discovered is to understand on daily basis, respect the folks you’re keen on. The outpouring from mates has been overwhelming. I’ve needed to work actually arduous, however I do all my bodily and occupational remedy, and I don’t take something without any consideration anymore. Mike, I’ll be sincere with you, there was a second early on the place I wasn’t certain, and I used to be pondering, do I need to dwell or not? Now, I get up on daily basis, and I concentrate on dwelling. That doesn’t imply all the pieces is straightforward; there are a variety of arduous days, and a variety of tears. However I respect each second, and I need to dwell so long as I can.”
The Karpens don’t labor underneath the phantasm they’ve put his disaster within the rearview mirror perpetually. The tumor was a manifestation of a illness. It’s why they’re throwing themselves passionately into fundraising, having seen up shut the advantages, and having the ability to hope once more.
“Extra analysis results in a treatment, to discovering medication that assist struggle it and assist folks dwell longer,” Pam stated. “As a result of the unhappy…I’m saying this in entrance of Andrew, and he is aware of this…the unhappy reality of the matter, and the tough actuality is that the common lifespan from prognosis is 15 to 18 months. I maintain saying to Andrew, and I’m going to cry once I say this…it’s essential keep alive lengthy sufficient for them to get to the following drug that may maintain you alive lengthy sufficient to get to the following drug, and the following, till they discover the treatment.”
Andrew is grateful for the time, and has resolved to deal with no matter could come.
“The perfect information that got here from the prognosis is, I’m going to have the ability to make it to my son Josh’s wedding ceremony on July 27,” he stated. “Again in February, we weren’t certain. That wasn’t a given.”
The Karpens ask that those that donate right here will acknowledge Andrew of their donation, together with their residence deal with at 634 S. Benson Rd., Fairfield, CT 06824. This fashion, Pam can ship thanks notes. The hope right here is that the city will reply to this encouraging information about one among its personal, and assist pave the way in which towards extra progress. I certain will, as I feared this is able to not be the story I’d be writing, once I first heard of Karpen’s battle in early January.
