Liz Bernstein

Liz Bernstein learned of the CMTA in 2009 when she met Anthony Zahn. Anthony's journey with CMT began in his youth and he lived with it for 30 years. It defined him as he became a US Paralympic Athlete representing us in the 2008 and 2012 games and even bringing home a bronze medal.

Anthony didn't like thinking of himself as disabled as he was great at doing so much on his own. But he knew it made him who he was. In 2014 he had an appointment at Stanford, and he and Liz learned of the local CMTA branch. In 2017 they did the walk in Palo Alto and in 2019 they were introduced to the Cycle for CMTA in Burlington, VT. They knew they belonged there.

In 2019, Liz and Anthony started working on their Estate Planning. They didn't have any children of their own or any nieces or nephews, so they knew they wanted to leave money to charities they cared a lot about. Having forged a deep connection with the CMTA over the years, they recognized the invaluable support it provided to those grappling with CMT, including Anthony and their family. They finalized their paperwork in Jan 2020.

Anthony died in August 2020 of pancreatic cancer. Liz has continued to have a relationship and fundraise for the CMTA. The decision to include the CMTA in her estate planning was not merely a financial arrangement but a testament to the enduring bond she shared with Anthony and the broader CMT community. It impacted his life greatly and Liz feels it is her mission to keep fighting for what he cared about and hope there is a cure in the future.