Dystonia Interview Today

Beka Serdans, the founder of Care4Dystonia.org, is going to be doing an interview with Dr. Mehmet Oz on an XM radio station today. Please let friends and family know about this interview—Beka is a huge advocate for dystonia awareness and her cause deserves all the help it can get!

Dystonia meets America’s Doctor:
Dr. Mehmet Oz, M.D ~ Nov 2, 2007

On November 2nd, 2007 “Oprah and Friends” XM Satellite Radio 156 will feature Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD discussing the disorder, dystonia, with NYP’s own Critical Care nurse Beka Serdans, RN, MS, NP and Dr. Michael G. Kaplitt, M.D., PhD. The interview will focus on one person’s struggle with misdiagnosis, treatments and personal journey with dystonia.

About Dystonia: Today there are over 40 million people in North America suffering from a movement disorder. One of them is the 3rd most common: DYSTONIA. Dystonia is a neurological disorder causing abnormal, involuntary postures, movements, and tremors; it remains cureless as well as disabling for many of its victims.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD is the Professor and Vice Chairman of Surgery at Columbia University in New York City, Director of the Cardiovascular Institute, and Founder and Director for the Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He is a regular contributor to The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Beka Serdans is a critical care nurse within NYPs Critical Care Division and works with Dr. Oz. She has had dystonia for close to 20 years, and underwent Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery at Weill Cornell for control of her symptoms in 2004. She has published two books on her experiences with the disorder, and is a strong patient advocate who works frequently with the media. She will be endorsing Care4Dystonia, Inc., an innovative patient-oriented organization which she founded in 2000, with Dr. Kaplitt as scientific advisor.

Dr. Michael G. Kaplitt, MD, PhD is a pioneer in gene therapy, and Director of the Surgical Movement Disorder Program at Weill Cornell, as well as being Beka’s neurosurgeon.

Here are some links that might prove useful:

To access a free trial of XM Radio, visit this link.

To see Beka’s photo essay on her DBS surgery, visit the photographer’s site. (Shot at Weill-Cornell.)

To learn more about dystonia and its impact on so many people, visit the Care4Dystonia Website.

Thank you so much for reading—Beka has been doing incredible things and I’ve been learning a lot from her as we work together. I would really like her organization to get as much exposure as possible. Please tune in if you have the chance!