Jeffrey S. Downs, Esquire

The Anapol Schwartz Foundation, established by law firm Anapol, Schwartz, Weiss, Cohan, Feldman & Smalley, P.C., announced it will dedicate its first grant to the Burn Foundation, a non-profit providing burn prevention education and support for the burn care community, burn survivors and their families throughout the greater Philadelphia region. The Burn Foundation will use the $25,000 grant to launch a new family mentorship program for burn survivors and their families.

With funds from firm cases, The Anapol Schwartz Foundation supports research and programs advancing public health and safety to provide assistance to victims and their families. The $25,000 grant is made available from a recent firm settlement in a products liability case involving catastrophic burns to a young child.

"We are thrilled to dedicate funds from our Foundation to spearhead such a worthy project," said Joel Feldman, managing partner at Anapol Schwartz. "We can't think of a better way to honor the family from this recent case than to advocate for others affected by similar tragedies."

The mentorship program for burn survivors will help patients and their families deal with the unique challenges posed by severe burn injuries by pairing them with former burn survivors who can provide hope and inspiration throughout the recovery process. The Burn Foundation's position as a liaison to area burn centers will enable them to formally train and match burn survivors and their families with the most suitable mentor at three burn centers - Crozer-Chester Medical Center, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, and Temple University Hospital.

"Most families are unprepared for the intensive and lengthy treatment a burn injury demands, with the psychosocial needs often going unrecognized and therefore untreated," said Carol Gadsden, chair of the Burn Foundation board and its Survivors' Advisory Council, as well as a burn survivor. "Thanks to the generosity of The Anapol Schwartz Foundation, we'll be able to establish a program that helps to fill a critical gap in support for some of the 1,100 individuals, and their families in our region, affected by burn injuries every year."

For more information on The Anapol Schwartz Foundation - established as a donor-advised fund at the National Philanthropic Trust with initial funds from the firm's recent Vioxx settlement - please visit http://www.anapolschwartz.com/TheAnapolSchwartzFoundation

Founded in 1977, Anapol, Schwartz, Weiss, Cohan, Feldman & Smalley, P.C., is a personal injury firm with more than 25 attorneys and law offices in Philadelphia, Media, Reading and Harrisburg, Pa., as well as Cherry Hill, N.J. The firm has a multi-faceted practice with a tradition of excellence in medical malpractice law, pharmaceutical mass tort, medical device matters, toxic tort, class actions, products liability, automobile, investor claims and wrongful termination litigation. Anapol Schwartz has been an advocate for burn prevention and raising awareness about flammable products, including flammable furniture.

Established in 1973, the Burn Foundation is a Philadelphia-based non-profit serving the greater Philadelphia region in the prevention of burns through education, and the support of the burn care community, burn survivors and their families. During the past five years, the Burn Foundation has provided more than $1.8 million in financial support to four regional burn medical centers-Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Lehigh Valley Hospital, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and Temple University Hospital-all of which treat patients from more than 160 referring hospital emergency rooms in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and the State of Delaware.