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Farewell Charles!
Rev Med Int Sindr Down. 2011;15(2):17
international medical review on down’S syndrome
www.fcsd.org
www.elsevier.es/sd
EDITORIAL
Farewell Charles! A. Serés Santamaría Medical Coordinator Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down
When one has had the opportunity to know a person like Charles Epstein, with whom one has shared many scientific projects, academic collaborations, as well as social ones, always with the common denominator of study, work and the fight in favour of people with Down’s syndrome, this leaves an impression that is engraved in the heart. This is what happened between Charles Epstein and the Catalan Down’s Syndrome Foundation (FCSD), the people who knew him and worked with him will not be able to forget him, particularly for his capacity for work and study. Neither can we forget the relaxing conversations, not only with him, but also with his charming wife, Lois, to whom he was very close. The relationship of the FCSD with Charles goes back to the 1990’s, when he, as Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), organised the conference in Charleston, in the United States. This meeting was attended by scientists, medical professionals and people involved with Down’s syndrome. The FCSD was represented by its Chairman and by the medical coordinator. From then on, lines of communication and bonds of friendship were established between us, at a personal and institutional level. In this same conference, in a session restricted to medical professionals, the embryo of the DSMIG (“Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group”) began to grow, which would later be driven and led for many years by another good friend of the FCSD, William Cohen, who died 2 years ago. Charles was the first driving force behind the DSMIG and supported us to become part of it, as it was since its origin. Another fact that must be highlighted is the support that he gave us in being able to organise the I International Down Syndrome Conference in Barcelona in 1996, which was very successful and well attended. He, as Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the NDSS, met us in New York, where we set out our project of the Conference for
Barcelona in front of the Executive Committee. Charles supported our option and suggested that the NDSS should be in the organisation of the Conference. These are just a small sample of the feeling that Charles Epstein had for the FCSD. He took part in many occasions in events organised by us (Workshops, Conferences, Scientific Meetings), all with great success and with a particular sensitivity. He was also a consultant to this journal. Unfortunately, in February of this year, the communication media recorded his death, more for being a victim of terrorism, a subject that he did not like to talk about, than for his abundant scientific work on helping people with Down’s syndrome. Charles Epstein, born in Philadelphia in 1933, and Graduate in Chemistry and Medicine in Harvard University. In 1967 he joined the University of California, where he was Professor of Genetics in the San Francisco campus UCSF. Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the NDSS from 1979 to 2000, was a person very involved in the discovery of the genetic origin and the effects of the third copy of the chromosome 21 in Down’s syndrome. We must not let this opportunity pass to clearly acknowledge Charles Epstein for all these, so many and always good, things. Charles will not stop being a reference in the study of Down’s syndrome, and for this purpose the “Charles J. Epstein Down Syndrome Research Award” was created by NDSS. A few weeks ago Pedro Otón also left us, a likeable person, and one of the great fighters in our country for the social integration of people with Down’s syndrome. With these words we would like record to his family and his close friends, our most sincere sorrow for their loss. Pedro left a very high standard within Down España; we hope that the person who takes over from him may direct the institution with same wise skills.
1138-011X/$ - see front matter © 2011 Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down. Published by Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.
international medical review on down’S syndrome
www.fcsd.org
www.elsevier.es/sd
EDITORIAL
Farewell Charles! A. Serés Santamaría Medical Coordinator Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down
When one has had the opportunity to know a person like Charles Epstein, with whom one has shared many scientific projects, academic collaborations, as well as social ones, always with the common denominator of study, work and the fight in favour of people with Down’s syndrome, this leaves an impression that is engraved in the heart. This is what happened between Charles Epstein and the Catalan Down’s Syndrome Foundation (FCSD), the people who knew him and worked with him will not be able to forget him, particularly for his capacity for work and study. Neither can we forget the relaxing conversations, not only with him, but also with his charming wife, Lois, to whom he was very close. The relationship of the FCSD with Charles goes back to the 1990’s, when he, as Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), organised the conference in Charleston, in the United States. This meeting was attended by scientists, medical professionals and people involved with Down’s syndrome. The FCSD was represented by its Chairman and by the medical coordinator. From then on, lines of communication and bonds of friendship were established between us, at a personal and institutional level. In this same conference, in a session restricted to medical professionals, the embryo of the DSMIG (“Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group”) began to grow, which would later be driven and led for many years by another good friend of the FCSD, William Cohen, who died 2 years ago. Charles was the first driving force behind the DSMIG and supported us to become part of it, as it was since its origin. Another fact that must be highlighted is the support that he gave us in being able to organise the I International Down Syndrome Conference in Barcelona in 1996, which was very successful and well attended. He, as Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the NDSS, met us in New York, where we set out our project of the Conference for
Barcelona in front of the Executive Committee. Charles supported our option and suggested that the NDSS should be in the organisation of the Conference. These are just a small sample of the feeling that Charles Epstein had for the FCSD. He took part in many occasions in events organised by us (Workshops, Conferences, Scientific Meetings), all with great success and with a particular sensitivity. He was also a consultant to this journal. Unfortunately, in February of this year, the communication media recorded his death, more for being a victim of terrorism, a subject that he did not like to talk about, than for his abundant scientific work on helping people with Down’s syndrome. Charles Epstein, born in Philadelphia in 1933, and Graduate in Chemistry and Medicine in Harvard University. In 1967 he joined the University of California, where he was Professor of Genetics in the San Francisco campus UCSF. Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the NDSS from 1979 to 2000, was a person very involved in the discovery of the genetic origin and the effects of the third copy of the chromosome 21 in Down’s syndrome. We must not let this opportunity pass to clearly acknowledge Charles Epstein for all these, so many and always good, things. Charles will not stop being a reference in the study of Down’s syndrome, and for this purpose the “Charles J. Epstein Down Syndrome Research Award” was created by NDSS. A few weeks ago Pedro Otón also left us, a likeable person, and one of the great fighters in our country for the social integration of people with Down’s syndrome. With these words we would like record to his family and his close friends, our most sincere sorrow for their loss. Pedro left a very high standard within Down España; we hope that the person who takes over from him may direct the institution with same wise skills.
1138-011X/$ - see front matter © 2011 Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down. Published by Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.