Diagnosed with esophageal cancer three years ago and while traveling back and forth to New York City's Memorial Sloan Kettering for aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Garden City resident Michael Tenaglia made a pact with God that if he survived his surgery, he'd help people with cancer. Roughly two years ago, Tenaglia fulfilled his end of the deal when he co-founded, along with his wife, Patti, the Garden City-based MIRACLE (Making In Roads Against Cancer's Lasting Effects) Foundation.

Going further with his vow to help, The MIRACLE Foundation pledged $1 million toward a new facility right here on Long Island. He and Patti helped break ground at Mercy Medical Center Feb. 8 to make way for The MIRACLE Building, a $7.1 million cancer facility that will soon offer state-of-the-art treatment locally.

Most Reverend William Francis Murphy, the fourth Bishop of Rockville Centre; Mercy Medical Center President and CEO Vincent DiRubbio; James Harden, executive director of the Regional Care Network of Memorial Sloan Kettering; and Donna O'Brien of Catholic Health Services of Long Island were also on hand to break ground.

"The MIRACLE Building will be a superb new cancer treatment center that is easily accessible on Long Island and that will give patients an option to receive premier cancer treatment without having to travel to New York City," Tenaglia, father of four, said. "The turning of soil today signifies the commitment of all these prestigious groups to come together and make a difference in the fight against cancer here on Long Island."

Bishop Murphy blessed the site during last Friday's ceremony, saying, "Let us pray for His help and God will bring this construction to its completion. Our faith in Christ Jesus the Lord is what this foundation will be built on. This is a wonderful place of healing and hope and I am very grateful to Mike and Patti Tenaglia."

Tenaglia, during last Friday's ceremony, said he heard that there are no more than eight defining moments in a person's life, whether it's the birth of a first child or a special anniversary. "Regardless, 50 years from now MIRACLE Foundation trustees will look back and see today as one of those defining moments," he said.

"Bringing together the resources, research and incredible experience and care of a community hospital is a powerful combination for cancer patients on Long Island. I thank all for sharing the vision."

Donna O'Brien of Catholic Health Services of Long Island said The MIRACLE Building, which will be fully staffed by doctors and health professionals from Memorial Sloan Kettering, represents the strength of both Mercy Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering. "The vision and energy Mike garnered from this community really made this day possible. Here we are, many fundraisers later, breaking ground," she said. Mercy Medical Center is a member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island.

Scheduled for completion in the fall of 2003, The MIRACLE Building will offer the most advanced chemotherapy and other forms of outpatient services. Its goal is to meet the needs of Long Island's cancer patients by providing such treatment on a local basis.

James Harden, executive director of the Regional Care Network of Memorial Sloan Kettering, said the building's goal is to make it easier for patients to receive comprehensive cancer treatment closer to home.

"Four years ago staff from Memorial Sloan Kettering began to provide care at Mercy Medical. Close to their homes, people received the same treatment as in Manhattan. Only the strain of roundtrip traffic was missing," Harden said.

Mercy Medical Center President and CEO Vincent DiRubbio agreed, saying the building will play a critical role in the delivery of cancer treatment for all segments of the community. We are going to double our capacity for treating and helping cancer patients."

Town of Hempstead Supervisor Rich Guardino and Town Clerk Kate Murray also attended last Friday's groundbreaking ceremony. "I thank Mike for his tremendous leadership and thank everyone for joining in this celebration of life," Guardino said.

The facility will provide 35,000 cancer treatments annually and house a Gamma Knife, providing non-invasive stereotactic radiosurgery. This high-tech tool allows treatment for previously untreatable brain tumors, vascular malformations and functional disorders. The building will also house an Acqsim, which integrates treatment planning and delivery for optimum results as well as a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner.

The MIRACLE Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and groups who can relieve the discomfort and burdens of those afflicted with cancer and to reducing the cancer death toll through care, scientific research and education. All funds raised support the work of individuals and organizations committed to achieving these goals.

"It is our commitment to eradicate cancer as a major public health threat in our lifetime and to ensure that we make a difference to those afflicted with this terrible disease," Tenaglia said.

The foundation recently granted Dr. Bert Vogelstein, one of the nation's foremost cancer clinicians and researchers, a $100,000 grant toward making landmark discoveries in finding the genetic underpinnings of the disease. Dr. Vogelstein said he is committed to finding a cure.

In fact, he has already put the grant to good use, making two discoveries. The first of which focused on a new approach to cancer treatment based on biochemical differences between the blood vessels in tumors and those in normal tissues. He's discovered and characterized four new genes that are specifically expressed in the blood vessels of tumors, but not in normal cells.

Considered a breakthrough because the new genes are expressed in virtually all cancers (including colon, breast, lung, brain, pancreatic and skin cancers), Dr. Vogelstein's discovery revealed the genes are expressed on the cell surface, making them particularly accessible to drugs and antibodies.

The second discovery focuses on a bacterium that may be the key to treating stubborn tumors. The bacterium is often found in some large tumors that lack blood supply. It has been found to invade and destroy cancer tumors in mice within 24 hours, while leaving the surrounding healthy tissues alone. This bacterium, Clostridium novyi, which is commonly found in soil and dust and thrives in dead flesh, was genetically modified.

Researchers injected tumor-ridden mice with both the bacteria and chemotherapy drugs to test the system known as combination bacteriolytic therapy (COBALT). A single dose of the treatment destroyed the tumors in most of the mice. Although treatment has a long way to go before clinical trials, COBALT may offer a new dimension in future cancer treatment.

"These are amazing discoveries ... We are honored to support such a prominent researcher," Tenaglia said. "He has contributed greatly to our understanding of how cancer develops. The implications for improved diagnosis, prevention and treatment are enormous for overcoming cancer and other malignant diseases."

Dr. Vogelstein is director of the Molecular Genetics Laboratory at the Johns Hopkins University Oncology Center in Baltimore, MD and is an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. During the 1990s, his team of researchers uncovered the genetic basis of colorectal cancer, including the hereditary forms of the disease. He is one of the world's most frequently cited experts in medical research, a prolific author of scientific papers and the recipient of numerous awards and research grants.

"This significant grant permits us to sponsor the innovative research of a young investigator in our laboratory. This individual will perform cutting-edge research that is not often funded through more traditional governmental and private sources," he said. "We are most grateful to Mr. Tenaglia and The MIRACLE Foundation for their foresight and willingness to look 'outside the usual research box.'"

The MIRACLE Foundation can be reached at P.O. Box 7338 in Garden City, NY 11530, by calling 705-1813 or visiting www.miraclefoundation.com.