CD honours memory of friend who died of brain tumour

By KATHARINE SEALEY, Staff Writer

Stamped on Miriam Turner's inaugural CD, Poetic Soul, is a photo of her and her friend David Bloom, taken in the '80s. "I met David when he was born," said Turner.

"My sister used to babysit him. I have great memories of playing UNO on his bunk bed, and singing in the car. I can't remember a time when David wasn't there."

It is a friendship that endured through a three-year age difference, a childhood stint at Hebrew school, youth group at their synagogue, carpools to Mayfield Secondary School and eventually, tragically, David's death at the age of 19, just 18 months after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.

"It seemed like so many of my friends and family were facing illness," Turner said. "Then, when we found out about David as well, I needed to do something, and I knew this would be the focus of my first CD."

Turner will donate proceeds from the sale of the CD, which was nearly two years in the making, to the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada's David Bloom Legacy Fund. The money has been earmarked by the Bloom family to help families of teens with brain tumours.

Bloom's father, Lawrie, and older brother Richard were part of a chorus of 29 people-- including Dianne Lewarne who played Carlotta in the Toronto production of the Phantom of the Opera-- on the track For The Poets.

"They all volunteered," said Turner. "These people are social workers, doctors, lawyers, teenagers, even my mom. People from all walks of life who came to sing for David."

David's brother Aaron wrote and recorded the poem Brothers Forever, the final track on the CD.

"It's so sincere and beautiful, 99 per cent of people who hear it breakdown crying," said Turner. "It's an amazing response."

All proceeds from the $10 CD will go straight to the David Bloom Fund, thanks to a donation from EMI Canada, which copied, stamped, printed and packaged 1,500 CDs for the family, free of charge, the result of a chance meeting two years earlier.

"David had gone in to have surgery four or five months before he passed away," said Lawrie. "When we were there, there was another family there, waiting for their mom to come out of surgery too. So we sat and talked, sharing notes, and they ended up in the room next to David."

The two families saw each other frequently over the next few days.

"On the day David was leaving, a big box of CDs arrived in his (hospital) room, a gift from the people next door," he said. "It was all the latest releases and when I looked at the label, it was from EMI Canada."

When he got home, Lawrie looked on EMI's website and discovered their 'neighbour' was Dean Cameron, the CEO of EMI Canada. After Lawrie wrote to thank Cameron, and to let him know they would be using the extra CDs in the silent auction at the first Brampton Spring Sprint, a charity run for the Brain Tumour Foundation, Cameron sent a second box.

"It was amazing," said Lawrie. "Just the auctioning of the CDs raised $1,000 for the sprint."

When it came time to create Turner's fundraising CD, EMI Canada was ready to help once again. Turner will perform selections from the CD at the third annual David Bloom Memorial Spring Sprint, to be held on May 4. David died just 12 days before the inaugural event, which went on to raise $121,000, making it the biggest and most successful BTF Spring Sprint in the national event's 13-year history.

"There were nearly 1,000 people there, it was incredible," said Lawrie. "David had only just died and so there was a lot of emotion that day, but we were so grateful for the support of our friends and family, and really the whole community, who came out that day and the next year as well."

The event, held annually at Professor's Lake-- as well as other fundraisers, including an opera concert organized by local artist and businessman John Cutruzzola, a charity week at John Fraser Secondary School in Misssissauga, and a teddy bear sale-- has since raised more than $250,000 for the Brain Tumour Foundation and the Bloom family is currently seeking sponsors for the 2003 sprint. The CDs will also be available on the day of the sprint, and Turner said she hopes its message will leave people feeling uplifted.

"This isn't about demeaning the sadness of what's happened, it's about finding inspiration in it, and wanting to do something about it," she said. "It's not all happiness and rainbows, we still have a long way to go for brain tumor research, for wonderful people like David, who shouldn't have to die."

The Bloom family has also set up scholarships with their synagogue, Mayfield Secondary School and the Brampton Performing Arts Showcase, to help other young people achieve their dreams.

"We've been overwhelmed by love and support and we want to give back," said Lawrie. "We want to do anything we can to help keep David's name alive, so people will know what an amazing person he was."

To purchase the CD or inquire about the Spring Sprint, including sponsorship opportunities, call 905-846-2151. CDs can also be purchased by calling 416-729-8851. For more information, visit www.springsprint.com.