ARTICLES
A TRIBUTE TO HARRY SAUNDRY
A BEAUTIFUL MAN
Look at the picture above. It is of a man who went through life with a horrible disease known as Neurofibromatosis. We commonly call this disease the Elephant Man’s disease, although recently the scientific journals are in agreement that Joseph Merrick--the 19th-century "Elephant Man' probably did not have that disease. If interested you can read about this disease at the end of my article.
The picture above is of a good friend and magician that I have known for many years. His name was Harry Saundry, who died September 8, 2007 from a massive stroke. Harry was born in Brooklyn NY, December 12, 1949. He held a masters degree in Library Science from Saint Johns University in New York. He is survived by his mother Rosemary and his brother Kenneth. He died in Nova Scotia, Canada doing what he loved – cruising with his mother and carrying magic tricks in his pockets to share with people who he met.
I first met Harry many, many years ago at Tannen’s Magic Convention in the Catskill Mountains. I remember looking at him and thinking to myself… Oh that poor man, what a burden to carry through life. As I got to know him I saw less and less of the disease and more and more of the inner beauty and kindness that this man possessed. He always made me thankful for the blessings that have been bestowed upon me for I always thought of the famous quotation by Nikos Kazantzakis, “I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet.” Harry was intelligent, vibrant, fun to be with, and an all around great guy. He was always concerned about my health and always asked about it after my major surgery. He was so concerned about others – never himself.
I looked forward every year to see Harry and his friends Robert Giustizia, David Finergan and Michael Dunzelman. They made a motley crew of happy magicians escaping their jobs and spending a weekend with friends doing what the loved – MAGIC. I remember about 10 – 15 years ago at a Tannen’s convention that I had to open for my partner Harry a day before he could get there. Harry Saundry and Bob asked me, “Where’s Harry?” I told them that he would be in tonight, coming from another Magic Convention that overlapped. I asked Harry Saundry if I could show him something and he answered, “No, I’ll wait for Harry Allen to abuse me, you are too nice.”
Boy, both Harry, my partner and myself wish you, Harry would be here with us to “abuse” this year.
Every Year we raise a lot of money for the homeless and hungry people of Volusia and Flagler Counties. Last year we raised $1358.61. This is done through a raffle and Saturday Pizza Lunch. From now on, this money will be donated in your honor. Every year we have a convention, the name of Harry Saundry will be mentioned and charity given in his name.
Harry, I believe that there is an afterlife. I believe that the better, human being is here on earth, that your soul will be closer to God. Harry, your soul is right by God’s side and you are now beautiful on the outside as you have always been on the inside.
Irv Cook
What is Neurofibromatosis?
The neurofibromatosis are genetic disorders of the nervous system that primarily affect the development and growth of neural (nerve) cell tissues. These disorders cause tumors to grow on nerves and produce other abnormalities such as skin changes and bone deformities. Although many affected persons inherit the disorder, between 30 and 50 percent of new cases arise spontaneously through mutation (change) in an individual's genes. Once this change has taken place, the mutant gene can be passed on to succeeding generations. Scientists have classified the disorders as neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). NF1 is the more common type of the neurofibromatosis. In diagnosing NF1, a physician looks for changes in skin appearance, tumors, or bone abnormalities, and/or a parent, sibling, or child with NF1. Symptoms of NF1, particularly those on the skin, are often evident at birth or during infancy and almost always by the time a child is about 10 years old. NF2 is less common. NF2 is characterized by bilateral (occurring on both sides of the body) tumors on the eighth cranial nerve. The tumors cause pressure damage to neighboring nerves. To determine whether an individual has NF2, a physician looks for bilateral eighth nerve tumors and similar signs and symptoms in a parent, sibling, or child. Affected individuals may notice hearing loss as early as the teen years. Other early symptoms may include tinnitus (ringing noise in the ear) and poor balance. Headache, facial pain, or facial numbness, caused by pressure from the tumors, may also occur.
