The Vascular Birthmarks Foundation Celebrates 30 Years of Patient Impact

MANHATTAN, N.Y. - Oct. 3, 2024 - PRLog -- Three decades ago, Linda Rozell-Shannon, Ph.D., founded the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation (VBF) to support families around the world affected by a vascular birthmark, anomaly, and/or related syndrome (VBARS). Since then, VBF has become the leading non-profit in the world for children and adults affected by a vascular birthmark, such as a port wine stain or hemangioma.

VBF's 30th Anniversary Gala celebration this Friday, Oct. 4, at the Yale Club in NYC, will honor Dr. Linda and her 30 years of service to the VBARS community. In addition, VBF is honored to be presenting the 1st VBF Lifetime Achievement Award to Roy G. Geronemus, M.D., Director of the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York, and VBF Medical Director.

These works mark a watershed in the history of VBF. In addition to VBF reaching "institution status" by sustaining beyond 30 years, it is also the year that Dr. Geronemus reached 1,000 free laser treatments at VBF laser clinics in Russia, Israel, India, Greece, Italy, and the United States.

"VBF's impact during the past thirty years has been made possible in no small part thanks to the support of doctors like Dr. Geronemus," said Dr. Linda. "Since 2003, when Dr. Geronemus hosted the first VBF conference in New York City, he has been a passionate advocate for ensuring that families affected by vascular birthmarks–regardless of location or financial resources–get access to the care they need."

One in 10 babies are born with a VBARS. That amounts to 400,000 babies a year based on 4,000,000 live births a year in the United States. Of these 400,000, 10%, or 40,000 a year, will have a vascular birthmark so significant they will need to see a medical specialty team. These 40,000 will seek assistance from VBF. For 30 years, VBF has successfully networked affected families into treatment.

"It's been an honor and privilege to work alongside Dr. Linda for the past twenty plus years as VBF's reach has expanded globally," said Dr. Geronemus. "Seeing how the level of care I provide to my patients in New York can now–thanks to the work of VBF–be offered to children with vascular birthmarks in Israel, Italy, and India is a highlight of my career."

About the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation (VBF)

VBF is an international charitable organization that networks families affected by a vascular birthmark, anomaly, or related syndrome to the appropriate medical professionals for evaluation and/or treatment, provides informational resources as well as sponsors physician education, mobilizes medical missions, and supports research and programs that promote acceptance for individuals with vascular birthmarks. VBF has networked over 150,000 children and adults into treatment since 1994. For more information, please visit https://birthmark.org.

About Linda Rozell-Shannon, Ph.D.

Dr. Linda is the President and Founder of the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation. She has her Ph.D. in Education, her Master of Science in Health Education, and has been a freelance writer and analyst for more than 30 years. In 1994, after her daughter, Christine Shannon, was diagnosed with a hemangioma, Linda began researching and writing information on vascular birthmarks, creating what is now known as the Vascular Birthmark Foundation (VBF). Since its inception in 1994, VBF has successfully networked thousands of children and adults into treatment, sponsored significant research, educated physicians and affected family members about the diagnosis and treatment of vascular birthmarks, and established chapters all over the world.

About Roy G. Geronemus, M.D.

Dr. Geronemus is the Director of the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York, is a Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the NYU Langone Medical Center where he has founded its laser program and served nine years as its Chief of Dermatologic and Laser Surgery. He is past president of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and the American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery. Dr. Geronemus serves as a VBF Medical Director, and makes possible laser therapy for countless families during our annual VBF Conference and Clinic in New York. In 2024, Dr. Geronemus received the VBF Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014, he received the Physician of the Year honor from VBF and was also awarded their Humanitarian Award in 2014. He has been listed in New York Magazine's Best Doctors in New York 24 times, and 14 times as one of the Best Doctors in America. He has been involved with the development of multiple new laser systems and therapeutic techniques, which are now commonly used throughout the world.  For more information, please visit https://www.laserskinsurgery.com.