Tom Stampe
BOTOX® Patient
For a moment, try to imagine suffering from a condition that causes your chin to be stuck to your right shoulder. Imagine how this condition compromises the simple tasks you take for granted on a daily basis — the ability to eat, drive, shave or even look someone in the eye. Now imagine seeing many specialists about this problem, some saying that the problem is psychological. This is a glimpse into the life of New Jersey resident Tom Stampe.
Tom, like 125,000 others across the country,1 suffers from cervical dystonia, a debilitating neurological disorder characterized by involuntary spasms of the neck muscles, causing forward, backward, and rotational tilting of the head. In Tom's case, the pain and anxiety was so intense that brain surgery was once considered a treatment option. However, Tom says he was fortunate that he found help: A nun his mother knew suffered from the same condition and recommended that he see a particular neurologist practicing at Columbia Presbyterian in New York — Mitchell Brin, M.D., who now serves as the Senior Vice President of Development and Therapeutic Area Head for BOTOX® and Neurology at Allergan. Dr. Brin diagnosed the condition as cervical dystonia and offered Tom treatment with BOTOX® (Botulinum Toxin Type A). Shortly after receiving the BOTOX® injections, Tom's head and neck began to move freely — a feeling that Tom will never forget.
Fast forward several years. Life is different now for Tom Stampe. He enjoys the full range of motion in his head and neck that we all take for granted. Tom's new passion is helping others with dystonia and he currently serves as the President of the New York Chapter of the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, helping people understand that cervical dystonia can be effectively treated and is not a prison sentence. Tom is living proof.