Review of the 13th Annual Working Toward a Day Without Pain Gala, Barbara Woodworth

Another year, another successful GALA, and once again Column of Hope, under the auspices of the Kane family, effectively carried out an evening of fun, fine dining, outstanding music and, most importantly, fund-raising of dramatic proportion.

On Saturday night, October 10, 2015, nearly 200 people gathered at the Buffalo Hyatt Regency Hotel for one vital reason – to raise money for research funded by Column of Hope – Chiari & Syringomyelia Research Foundation. This organization, established in 2004, filled much of the void in research progress related to the painful and debilitating neurological conditions of Chiari malformation (CM) and syringomyelia (SM).

Since the start of Column of Hope, much progress has been made and the October 10th GALA - as with the prior twelve GALAs - significantly enabled research by financing medical studies focused on searching for better understanding, treatments and cures for Chiari malformation, syringomyelia, neuropathic pain, spinal cord injury and other neurologically-related conditions.

On the night of the 10th, GALA attendees were privy to the latest research advances made possible by their generous donations of money and auction items. Mark Kane introduced the after-dinner program by welcoming guests and reporting on the Warwick, England research project. Saved from a complete loss of funding, The Warwick Project now - thanks in large measure to the intervention of COH’s medical director, Dr. Lee Guterman - was saved and has been awarded over two million US dollars by the British Government to continue its landmark research.

Next on the agenda was Dr. John Oró, a neurosurgeon from Aurora, Colorado, who updated the audience on his 18 years of treating patients with Chiari and syringomyelia. His vivid description of the suffering experienced by CM and SM patients made it clear why research is needed. Dr. Oró was followed by Laura Kane-Punyon, whose history of many years of enduring surgeries and pain was familiar to many. Laura’s comments received enthusiastic applause as did her announcement that she and her husband are expecting their second child.

Prior to the live auction, Dr. Guterman effectively concluded the program with an excellent and in-depth presentation of the work carried out thanks to the efforts of Column of Hope and its many supporters.

At the end of the evening, as the guests left - many, many with items from the silent and live auctions - there was little doubt that a good time was had by all. There’s little doubt, too, that the expected date for the fourteenth GALA, to be held in 2016, is eagerly awaited.