Thank you to our Sponsors and all of you who continue to support our events and honor Rory by showing up.

Childhood Brain Stem Glioma Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version General Information About Childhood Brain Stem Glioma Molecular Features of Childhood Brain Stem Glioma Stage Information for Childhood Brain Stem Glioma Treatment Option Overview for Childhood Brain… Read More

Protein May Improve Immunotherapy for Medulloblastoma August 13, 2020 A cell signaling protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) may be used to enhance the sensitivity of medulloblastoma tumors to immunotherapy, potentially improving quality of life… Read More

April 20, 2018 was the date “Rockin’ for Rory” was held at the Prysm Nightclub in Chicago. The Nadas, an Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band, performed at the Prysm Nightclub in Chicago…. Read More

David M. Ashley, MBBS (Hon), FRACP, PhD, was recently awarded The Rory David Deutsch Professor of Neuro-Oncology at Duke’s Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Department of Neuro-Surgery on July 1, 2019. Ashley is the director… Read More

We want to thank Coach Dan McKendrick, Mollie Kaplan, the Deerfield boys basketball team, the Warrior Dance Team, the Highland Park Poms & Jammers for their incredible generosity and efforts! Click here to read a… Read More

Please join The Rory David Deutsch Foundation for our next fundraiser, Rockin’ for Rory featuring Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Nadas. This is a 21 and older event that will be held on Friday,… Read More

We want to thank the Deerfield Boys’ basketball team and the Girls’ dance team as they both are raising money to support The Rory David Deutsch Foundation for the 2018 Dance Marathon!! The event takes… Read More

Our 2017 Winter newsletter is here! Please click here to view and download the pdf.

We have this year’s winners of the 19th annual Rory Award for Citizenship at Indian Trail School! Barry Bakal created this award in 1999 to honor Rory and his sense of community and good citizenship. Since inception,… Read More

Thank you to all who attended and supported our Rockin for Rory event Saturday April 8. We enjoyed an incredible evening of music and dancing, featuring the legendary drummer of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and… Read More

The Rory David Deutsch Foundation is proud to announce our next fundraiser. The event will feature the legendary drummer of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Max… Read More

The Rory David Deutsch Foundation is humbled and honored to announce that the foundation has made an additional grant of $200,000.00 to the endowment fund known as The Rory David Deutsch Malignant Brain Tumor Research… Read More

On September 25, the Highland Park Girls Tennis Team held a fundraiser at Danny Cunniff Park with a portion of the proceeds that generated $1,250.00, benefiting The Rory David Deutsch Foundation. Thank you to the… Read More

The Paulina Cooper Dot-to-Dot Run benefiting The Rory David Deutsch Foundation held its annual race on September 18 in Overland Park, Kansas. The Dot-to-Dot Run volunteers This year’s race marked the… Read More

The North Shore Elite Basketball Clinic was held September 10 and 11. Thank you to Zack Meuser, Chris Wroblewski and Sean Wallis for donating their time organizing this two-day event that featured over 40 participants and… Read More

We are pleased to announce the 2016 Rory Award winners, Elijah Davis, and Vivika Walter from Indian Trail School. Barry Bakal created the Rory Award for citizenship at Indian Trail School in honor of Rory… Read More

Former Highland Park High School basketball players Zach Meuser and Chris Wroblewski will host an inaugural Elite Skills Basketball camp for high school- and middle school-aged hoopsters at the Recreation Center of Highland Park on Sept…. Read More

Registration is now open for a middle school and a high school North Shore Elite co-ed basketball camp. The camp is organized and hosted by Zack Meuser and Chris Wroblewski, and graciously sponsored by Mesirow… Read More

Thank you to Steve Serck and everyone at JAB Produce! Their 12th annual “Rory” Day was a huge success, and raised $9,500 for The Rory David Deutsch Foundation. We are so thankful and grateful for… Read More

Our 2015 Winter newsletter is here! Please click here to view and download the pdf.

After hearing those frightening words that your child has a brain tumor, it is hard to imagine anyone being able to focus on what the doctor is saying from that point on. After Rory passed… Read More

Past findings from an international, genome-sequencing consortium that has linked a “mutated histone protein” to a rare brain-stem cancer in children called DIPG, fueled the recent breakthrough in a targeted treatment of the tumors, according… Read More

Normally we would eschew television medical dramas when discussing real life medical problems, but in thinking about the early signs of brain cancer, we are reminded of ER and the character of Dr. Mark Greene…. Read More

Cancer is a frightening and tragic diagnosis no matter what the age. The treatment of childhood cancers is complicated by the fact that children’s bodies simply do not function the same way as that of… Read More

Over 20,000 people are diagnosed with malignant brain tumors every year, and over half of them will die. Malignant brain tumors are one of the most common childhood cancers and their treatment is complex and… Read More

Learning that their child has a brain tumor strikes fear into the heart of any parent. However, it is important to know that there are many different types of brain tumors, each requiring its own… Read More

It is almost too simplistic to think that primary brain tumors really begin in the brain… but they do. They can show up in the tissues near to the brain, such as the “brain-covering” membrane, or… Read More

Like most parents with small children, Ross and Mindy Deutsch were not alarmed when their six-year old son, Rory, complained of arm pain after a tennis activity in 1998. His parents thought it was just… Read More

Brain tumors are either benign or malignant. Brain tumor removal surgery requires in depth planning and evaluation. While benign tumors found in other areas of the body are not always removed, they must be removed… Read More

Fear, concern, and anxiety are all normal reactions when hearing that you or a loved one has a tumor. This is especially true when it is in the brain, the seat of our emotions, thinking,… Read More

The diagnosis of a tumor anywhere, particularly in the brain, is a terrifying thing to face. The immediate conclusion of many is that they have been given a death sentence or face severe brain damage…. Read More

It’s been a long time since Ross and Mindy Deutsch heard their son Rory’s laugh permeate through their house. When he died from a pediatric brain tumor in his brain stem, the Deutsches knew that… Read More

Ross and Mindy Deutsch know firsthand the heartbreak of losing a child. Their 7-year-old son Rory lost his battle with a brain tumor in 1998 and the couple honor his memory through the Rory David… Read More

Terminal cancer — two words just don’t seem to mix well. They shouldn’t. Unfortunately, hearing that your child’s cancer is terminal is something that many families will have to face this year. There is so… Read More

Children are amazing human beings. Each day when they wake up, they’re so full of life. The promise of the new day lies before them. With no idea what that promise consists of, they just… Read More

Each year, approximately 2,000 more children and their families are burdened with the news that their child is suffering from pediatric tumors.  Unfortunately, even though this type of cancer currently has the highest death rate… Read More

Each day, about 11.5 children are diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer. That number means that during the course of any one year, over 4,000 families are given the news that their child might not live… Read More

Back in February of ‘98, Ross and Mindy Deutsch were at the abyss of despair, a chasm punctuated by some 40 hours of watching their 6-year old son, Rory, slowly lose control of his motor… Read More

In 1998, a pediatric brain tumor took the life of Ross and Mindy Deutsch’s little boy. Rory was only 7 years old. He had a heart of gold, and he loved his friends and his… Read More

It would be difficult to express what Ross and Mindy Deutsch felt when they were given the diagnosis that would forever change their lives in 1998: Their 6-year old son, Rory, had a pediatric brain… Read More

Any parent might have reacted the same way as did Ross and Mindy Deutsch when their 6-year-old son, Rory, came to them complaining of aches and pains in his arm. Rory had just participated in… Read More

The brain stem is a very important part of the brain. Because it is an extension of the spinal cord, the brain stem has a vital role in the body. It is responsible for many… Read More

The diagnosis came back, and Ross and Mindy Deutsch, still reeling from that last 40 hours or so, knew their 6-year old son, Rory, had terminal cancer. He had a brain stem glioma. Rory, an… Read More

Receiving the news that your child has a pediatric brain tumor changes everything. It completely turns your life upside down. The way you look at the world changes, and the way you look at your… Read More

Brain tumors occur because of the growth of abnormal cells in the brain, or because of the uncontrollable growth of normal brain cells. These tumors destroy or damage healthy brain cells, causing swelling as they… Read More

From Pioneer Press – May 16, 2012 BY CHARLES BERMAN Although current Indian Trail Elementary School students never met Rory David Deutsch, they spent their school day May 4 with Rory’s family to learn about him… Read More

From Highland Park Patch – May 11, 2012 Andi Rosen District 112 News In an inspirational outpouring of community spirit, the entire Indian Trail school community came together last week to honor the memory of a… Read More

While brain cancer is the third-most-prevalent cancer found in children today, the cause of most of these pediatric tumors is simply unknown, according to articles posted on the National Cancer Institute website. When it comes… Read More

At age fourteen, Oren Becher moved with his family from his native Israel to South Bend, Indiana. He had taken some basic English courses before the big move, so after a couple of summer prep… Read More

[ba-youtubeflex videoid=”b9QGKd_mXc0″] Visit the Eric and Kathy 36 Hour Radiothon page Visit the Children’s Memorial Hospital Website

In June 2012, Children’s Memorial Hospital will make its move to a 23-story, state-of-the-art hospital that is currently nearing completion at 
225 E. Chicago Ave. The new building and a new name, Ann & Robert… Read More

The Rory David Deutsch Foundation is spreading the word about pediatric brain tumors. And how sweet it would be if not a single child lost their battle to the disease as did Ross and Mindy… Read More

by Enid Deutsch & Ellyn Samsky   The gross proceeds of the The Rory David Deutsch Foundation for the period September 30, 2009 through October 1, 2011 are over $1,100,000.00. This raised the total fundraising… Read More

The Strength of a Symbol A pin on Coach K’s lapel serves as a symbol of a strong bond, forged through tragedy by Andy Katz, espn.com When Ross Deutsch read the advertisement, it seemed too… Read More

HOPE…DREAM…IMAGINE… “Hope, Dream, Imagine”—we first heard those words as they applied to The Rory David Deutsch Foundation at a meeting with Dan Zadra and Kobi Yamada. Those words still resonate today. Our hope of achieving… Read More

by Enid Deutsch & Ellyn Samsky   Total proceeds of The Rory David Deutsch Foundation for the period October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009 were close to $390,000. This raised the total fundraising, dollars… Read More

According to Darell D. Bigner, M.D., Ph.D., Cancer Research Professor at The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University, one of the primary problems in developing new treatments for childhood brain tumors is… Read More

The fact that members of The Rory David Deutsch Foundation’s Board of Directors found inspiration and motivation in their visit to the research laboratories of Children’s Memorial Hospital makes Stewart Goldman, MD, more than proud…. Read More

Spring is sure to be a heart-pumping season at Indian Trail School. The Highland Park school that Rory attended will host a “Ragnar for Rory” fundraising event in support of The Rory David Deutsch Foundation…. Read More

Long before he joined The Rory David Deutsch Foundation’s Board of Directors, Marty Max was familiar with the organization and how it came about. “Like a lot of people who live on the North Shore,… Read More

From Pioneer Press – July 17, 2008 By DINO MACRO [email protected] Championship teams are often a mixture of talented players combined with great chemistry. Illinois Express/Team Rory has it — and much more. This collection… Read More

The mission of The Rory David Deutsch Foundation is to eradicate pediatric brain tumors and other devastating childhood diseases as well as to make a difference in the lives of afflicted children and their families…. Read More

by Enid Deutsch & Ellyn Samsky The net proceeds of The Rory David Deutsch Foundation for the period March 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008 were close to $550,000. This raised the total fundraising, dollars… Read More

As Dr. Stewart Goldman of Children’s Memorial Hospital makes clear, it is only though collaborative efforts that a cure for pediatric cancer can be found. In partnering with Children’s as well as The Preston Robert… Read More

HOPE…DREAM…IMAGINE… As we write this letter, we are overcome with emotion realizing that it has been ten years since we lost Rory to a brain stem glioma. We are overwhelmed and humbled by your extraordinary… Read More

Chicago radio station 101.9 FM, The Mix, once again took to the air in August for the Eighth Annual Eric & Kathy’s 36 Hour Radiothon benefiting Children’s Memorial Hospital. The Radiothon raised over $10,000,000 for… Read More

Researchers are constantly looking at new ways to strengthen the fight against brain tumors in children. While definitive therapies in the field have yet to emerge, there are many areas of research that continue to… Read More

Reprinted from the Pioneer Press Newspaper January 11, 2007 The family of Rory David Deutsch gathers Oct. 28 for the Rory David Deutsch Foundation’s fifth bi-annual family event at the Highland Park Recreation Center. (Standing… Read More

The Rory David Deutsch Foundation has extended its support of research at both Children’s Memorial Hospital and Duke University. To date, The Foundation has contributed $400,000 of a $1 million grant to innovative research projects… Read More

Reprinted from the Chicago Sun-Times January 22, 2006 By Jim Ritter Health Reporter Children’s Memorial Hospital recently received a $1.25 million grant to study brain cancer in children. The news didn’t get much attention –… Read More

The recruitment of Dr. Batra has proved critical to the success of our brain tumor program as well as to the strength of our collaborations. Through an intensive, three-year long recruitment process, Dr. Batra emerged… Read More

The recruitment of Dr. Batra has proved critical to the success of our brain tumor program as well as to the strength of our collaborations. Through an intensive, three-year long recruitment process, Dr. Batra emerged… Read More

Researcher Identifies Importance of Glioma Protein In a research laboratory at Northwestern University, Dr. Sandeep Batra is fighting—and making good progress–in a life and death battle with protein. The lab, which is associated with Children’s… Read More