'Sharing Miracles' Television Program to Feature Baseball Manager, Cancer Survivor Joe Torre

October 28, 2009

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two-time Major League Baseball (MLB) Manager of the Year Joe Torre, a cancer survivor, will be featured on this month's episode of Sharing Miracles - a 30-minute public affairs television program that tells the compelling and inspirational stories of real patients. Sharing Miracles airs every Sunday morning on more than 300 television stations nationwide.

An iconic figure in baseball, Torre was a noted slugger for the Milwaukee (and later Atlanta) Braves, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the New York Mets. He was voted to the All-Star Team nine times and was named National League Most Valuable Player in 1971.

Today, Torre is best known for his nearly unmatched success as a big league manager. In fact, he is currently ranked fifth in terms of all-time managerial wins. In his 12 seasons with the New York Yankees, he led the team to the post-season playoffs each year, winning six American League Pennants and four World Series titles. He is now the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had the best record in the National League this season before losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series (NLCS).

However, his baseball career was almost ended by a foe more formidable than any he faced on the field when a routine check-up led to a prostate cancer diagnosis in 1999.

"I was just devastated," Torre said in this month's episode. "It was like being in a black hole. It was the worst thing that ever happened to me. My daughter was three at the time, and I was afraid that I wouldn't be there for her when she was growing up."

However, after consulting a doctor and carefully choosing a course of treatment, he decided to take on cancer as aggressively as he had taken on so many opponents in baseball. The decision to treat his disease through surgery "really helped me get prepared mentally to fight the cancer. I said to myself, 'Everything's going to be okay. I'm going to be fine. My family needs me.'"

Torre's battle with the disease was successful and he remains cancer-free today. His experience has taught him the importance of using his public persona to spread the word about the importance of being tested: "I've had so many people come to me and whisper in my ear, 'Because of you, I'm getting checked for cancer.'"

He went on to say: "The New York Daily News would give daily screenings around Father's Day, and eight- and nine-year-old boys would tell their fathers, 'Joe Torre says you should get checked.'"

After all, he points out, "the important thing to realize about prostate cancer is that you can control it. If you can't cure it, you can control it, and you can live with it. Here I am, still managing 10 years after the surgery and still having a lot of fun and living a normal life."

Torre's hope for an end to cancer is shared by people around the world. In fact, President Obama himself this year issued a challenge for a cure for cancer in our lifetime. America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies have taken up that challenge, with more than 800 medicines in development to treat cancer, including 103 intended for prostate cancer. In this month's episode, Merck scientist Dr. Scot Ebbinghaus discusses current treatment methods available today and Oscar-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden appears on the episode to talk about medicines in development to treat breast cancer.

Also featured in this month's episode is ESPN host Michael Wilbon and former baseball star Darryl Strawberry, who won three World Series rings playing for Torre.

Next month's episode of Sharing Miracles will highlight former New England Patriot Tedy Bruschi, who will discuss his experience overcoming a debilitating stroke to return to the football field.

Previous episodes of Sharing Miracles have featured Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden, an advocate of breast cancer awareness; actor Danny Glover, who suffered from epilepsy; Grammy Award-winning country music superstar Naomi Judd, who overcame Hepatitis C; pioneering rapper and actor Ice-T, who speaks about his battle with heart disease; baseball great Darryl Strawberry, who twice beat colon cancer; former Philadelphia Phillies star and ESPN commentator John Kruk, who overcame testicular cancer; Emmy Award-winning actor Joey Pantoliano, who suffers from clinical depression; Football Hall-of-Famer Mike Ditka, who suffers from heart disease; and Super Bowl Champion and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who has asthma.

Other guests on the show have included two-time NCAA tournament-winning University of Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun, who has overcome cancer three times; NBA Hall-of-Famer Dominique Wilkins; Boston Red Sox star pitcher Jon Lester, who has battled leukemia; Emmy-nominated former star of Family Ties Meredith Baxter, who survived breast cancer; Olympic gold medal winners Mark Spitz (high cholesterol), Bruce Jenner (attention deficit disorder), and Greg Louganis (HIV); syndicated television talk show host Montel Williams, who suffers from multiple sclerosis; actor and Leave It To Beaver star Jerry Mathers, who is affected by diabetes; pop icon and Broadway star Deborah Gibson, who has suffered from devastating anxiety attacks; and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and Super Bowl Champion Len Dawson, who survived prostate cancer.

The new episode debuts November 1. Sharing Miracles airs on Sunday mornings on the following network-affiliated stations: WDCA-TV, Washington, DC, 9 am-9:30 am; WPHL-TV, Philadelphia, PA, 11 am-11:30 am; WUTB-TV, Baltimore, MD, 9 am-9:30 am; WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN, 11:30 am-12 noon; KVMY-TV, Las Vegas, NV, 9 am-9:30 am; WCTX-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT, 9 am-9:30 am; WRAZ-TV, Raleigh, NC, 7:30 am-8:00 am; WNYA-TV, Albany, NY, 8 am-8:30 am; WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA, 7:30 am-8:00 am; WCIA-TV, Springfield/Champaign/Urbana/Decatur, IL, 10:30 am-11 am; WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA, 11 am-11:30 am; WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA, 11 am-11:30 am; WOWK-TV, Charleston/Huntington, WV, 11:30 am-12 noon; WMTW-TV, Portland/Augusta, ME, 11:30 am-12 noon; KHBB-TV, Helena, MT, 10 am-10:30 am; WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL, 10 am-10:30 am; WHBF-TV, Rock Island, IL/Davenport, IA, 10 am-10:30 am; KFBB-TV, Great Falls, MT, 10 am-10:30 am; KDEV-TV, Cheyenne, WY, 7:30 am-8:00 am; and WTOV-TV, Rockford, IL, 10:30 am-11:00 am.

The show also airs on 301 community broadcast stations across the country. For free DVDs of Sharing Miracles, please contact the PhRMA press line at 202-835-3460 or go to www.sharingmiracles.com.

Community stations airing Sharing Miracles are located in the following cities: Anchorage, AK; Decatur, AL; Harrison, AR; Jones, AR; Mountain Home, AR; Tempe, AZ; Bath, ME; Casa Grande, AZ; Chino Valley, AZ; Anaheim, CA; Compton, CA; Coralville, CO; Del Mar, CA; Gilroy, CA; Hayward, CA; Pacifica, CA; Pasadena, CA; Petaluma, CA; San Andreas, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Arvada, CO; Aurora, CO; Fort Collins, CO; Golden, CO; Greeley, CO; Longmont, CO; Northglenn, CO; Thornton, CO; Bridgeport, CT; East Haven, CT; Hamden, CT; Hartford, CT; Madison, CT; North Haven, CT; Plainville, CT; Simsbury, CT; Wallingford, CT; Brooksville, FL; Cape Coral, FL; Coral Springs, FL; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Fort Myers, FL; MacDill AFB, FL; Tampa, FL; Palm Coast, FL; Vero Beach, FL; Atlanta, GA; Dallas, GA; Douglasville, GA; Fort Oglethorpe, GA; LaGrange, GA; Lawrenceville, GA; Hilo, HI; Ames, IA; Des Moines, IA; Fairfield, IA; Mount Vernon, IA; Olin, IA; Muscatine, IA; Boise, ID; Coeur d'Alene, ID ; Moscow, ID ; Soda Springs, ID ; Addison, IL; Aurora, IL; Batavia, IL; Darien, IL; Galesburg, IL; Glen Ellyn, IL; Glenview, IL; Joliet, IL; Lake Forest, IL; Naperville, IL; Plainfield, IL; Romeoville, IL; Urbana, IL; Wheaton, IL; Austin, IN; Bloomington, IN; Connersville, IN; Fort Wayne, IN; Richmond, IN; Haysville, KS; Lawrence, KS; Olathe, KS; Ottawa, KS; Covington, KY; Highland Heights, KY; Louisville, KY; Bossier City, LA; Houma, LA; Lafayette, LA; Mandeville, LA; New Orleans, LA; Amherst, MA; Arlington, MA; Boston, MA; Brookline, MA; Carver, MA; Chelmsford, MA; Dracut, MA; Easthampton, MA; Foxboro, MA; Holden, MA; Hopkinton, MA; Leominster, MA; Longmeadow, MA; Lynn, MA; Marion, MA; Sandwich, MA; Wakefield, MA; Wilbraham, MA; Worcester, MA; Bel Air, MD; Columbia, MD; Easton, MD; Greenbelt, MD; Largo, MD; Rockville, MD; Bath, ME; Boothbay Harbor, ME; Bridgton, ME; Brunswick, ME; Madison, ME; Mexico, ME; Ann Arbor, MI; Byron, MI; Cadillac, MI; Farmington Hills, MI; Holland, MI; Kalamazoo, MI; Lake Orion, MI; Manistee, MI; Monroe, MI; Portage, MI; Romeo, MI; Waterford, MI; Wyandotte, MI; Blaine, MN; Bloomington, MN; Champlin, MN; Coon Rapids, MN; Duluth, MN; Fergus Falls, MN; Hibbing, MN; Hutchinson, MN; Inver Grove Heights, MN; Le Seuer, MN; Minneapolis, MN; Rosemont, MN; Spring Park, MN; Stillwater, MN; White Bear Lake, MN; Brentwood, MI; Hudsonville, MI; Blue Springs, MO; Columbia, MO; Independence, MO; Ste. Genevieve, MO; Hillsboro, MS; Jackson, MS; Vicksburg, MS; Great Falls, MT; Helena, MT; Albemarle, NC; Charlotte, NC; Knightdale, NC; New Bern, NC; Wingate, NC; Fargo, ND; Grand Island, NE; Hastings, NE; Lincoln, NE; Omaha, NE; Claremont, NH; Derry, NH; Durham, NH; Keene, NH; Londonderry, NH; Manchester, NH; North Conway, NH; Wolfeboro, NH; Bloomfield, NJ; Jersey City, NJ; Metuchen, NJ; Montclair, NJ; Piscataway, NJ; Pomona, NJ; Princeton, NJ; Statewide, NJ; Summit, NJ; Wayne, NJ; Albuquerque, NM; Los Alamos, NM; Rio Rancho, NM; Santa Fe, NM; Taos, NM; Boulder City, NV; Carson City, NV; Minden, NV; Chappaqua, NY; Fairport, NY; Penfield, NY; Staten Island, NY; Tivoli, NY; Webster, NY; Athens, OH; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Defiance, OH; Fairborn, OH; Hudson; OH; Macedonia, OH; Medina, OH; Middletown, OH; Norwood, OH; Troy, OH; Wadsworth, OH; Perry, OK; Oregon City, OR; Silverton, OR; Ardmore, PA; Berwyn, PA; Bethel Park, PA; Gettysburg, PA; Harrisburg, PA; McMurray, PA; Moon Township, PA; Pottstown, PA; Reading, PA; Wayne, PA; York, PA; Greenville, SC; Rockhill, SC; Union, SC; Clarksville, TN; Franklin, TN; Germantown, TN; Murfreesboro, TN; Arlington, TX; College Station, TX; Denton, TX; Houston, TX; Kingsville, TX; Cedar City, UT; Logan, UT; Salt Lake City, UT; Vernal, UT; Blacksburg, VA; Gloucester, VA; Herndon, VA; Norfolk, VA; Roanoke, VA; Suffolk, VA; Barre, VT; Bellow Falls, VT; Burlington, VT; Hyde Park, VT; Manchester Center, VT; Newport, VT; Springfield, VT; Waitsfield, VT; Bainbridge Island, WA; Bremerton, WA; Ellensburg, WA; Kent, WA; Longview, WA; Port Townsend, WA; Seattle, WA; Toppenish, WA; Dodgeville, WI; Eau Claire, WI; Fitchburg, WI; Hartford, WI; Janesville, WI; Lake Mills, WI; Kenosha, WI; Madison, WI; Merrill, WI; Muskego, WI; New London, WI; Reedsburg, WI; River Falls, WI; Sun Prairie, WI; Superior, WI; Waterloo, WI; Wausau, WI; Wenatchee, WI; Whitehall, WI; Wisconsin Rapids, WI; Huntington, WV; and Summersville, WV.

The show's corresponding Web site, www.sharingmiracles.com, is an interactive forum for people to relate their own personal stories of hope and survival. Every patient's battle is unique, but the collective power of shared experiences can offer great help and courage to others who are fighting for their lives.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) helps uninsured and financially-struggling patients access information on programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free. To find out if they may qualify for help, patients should call toll-free 1-888-4PPA-NOW to speak with a trained specialist or visit www.pparx.org.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $50.3 billion in 2008 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $65.2 billion in 2008.

PhRMA Internet Address: http://www.phrma.org

For information on stories of hope and survival, visit: http://sharingmiracles.com/

For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org

For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit:http://www.pparx.org

For more information on public health emergencies, visit http://www.rxresponse.org

For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: http://www.buysafedrugs.info

SOURCE Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America