me to a neurologist. Within 10 min-
utes, he confirmed what we had
thought, and I was so relieved to
know."
While there are no specific medica-
tions for the syndrome, there are pills
that can help with his anxieties and
attention difficulties. Before going on
stage, he can follow a routine of con-
centration and forced tics that frees
him of uncontrolled movements on
stage.
The actor-producer, who went to
Hillel Day Schocil for a short time and
had his bar mitzvah at Congregation
B'nai Moshe, hopes one day to be a
full-time actor. In the meantime, he
works for a company that presents
one-person educational shows at
schools and camps and takes tempo-
rary business assignments at invest-
ments banks.
Getting most of his attention now is
bringing Syndrome to larger theaters in
New York and taking it around the
country He feels the project has valid-
ity because of the reaction of medical
professionals.
Sanford Herman, a psychiatrist in
the Department of Family Practice at
the Downstate Medical
Center in New York,
brought a group of resi-
dents to the production.

"We use professional theater for
teaching purposes and have formal
discussions about whatever we see, "
Dr. Herman explains. "We wanted our
neurology and psychiatric residents to
understand this disease from the
patient's perspective, especially because
the manifestations of this disease are
so wide and varied.
"The very next day, one of our psy-
chiatric residents had his first Tourette
patient and really could relate what he
experienced at work to what he had
watched in Syndrome."

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Also impressed was Berg's aunt,
Florine Mark, who went to New York
to see the production. Although she is
president of the largest Weight
Watchers franchise in the world, she
never knew that her nephew had eat-
ing problems under certain conditions.
She had noticed his tics but did not
pay much attention to them.
"The play covers 26 forms of
Tourette Syndrome, and it is very

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"My daughter Melissa will
talk about the disease, her •
life suffering from it, what
we've been doing for the
past nine years with the
NMSS Southern California
Chapter and what we've
been doing as we've been
traveling around the coun-
try," says Sherak.
"After that, I will talk
about what it's like being a
parent and hopefully help
Revolution Studios film executive Thomas Sherak,
the people there know how right, and his daughter, Melissa Resnick: "My faith
important it is to support
has helped me through all this," says Sherak of
those-looking for a cure.
coping with Resnick's MS.
What we have found by
traveling is that this [pro-
spoke in San Diego and Seattle, try to
gram] becomes an intimate time."
be caring and uplifting in their mes-
Sherak is proud that his daughter
sage while knowing. how difficult the
has been able to earn a master's degree
disease can become.
in public health and nutrition, teach,
The show business executive's post-
marry and have a child.
Father and daughter, who recently
A PERSONAL BATTLE on page 68

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2/22

2002

67

