CurePSP Tribute Funds

Susan Palubinskas Weyn died peacefully in the arms of her family on March 14, 2024.

A woman of rich faith in Jesus Christ, she left this world confident that she would be with him for eternity. 

Passionate about infant care, Susan volunteered her time at the hospital NICU and traveled twice to China to serve orphaned disabled infants. She had a love for interior design and built beautiful homes in both Georgia and Montana and watched almost every home design show. She was an active tennis player, music lover, thrill seeker, word game enthusiast and enjoyed hosting friends and family for all kinds of celebrations. She lived life to the fullest and was always doing for others.

Susan suffered from a rare neurological degenerative disease. She was diagnosed in 2020 and faced this sickness with courage. As a final act of generosity, she has donated her body to further research to find a cure. Her legacy will live on as she loved her husband and two daughters fiercely, as they do her.

Suzanne Wasserman, born in Chicago, was a prominent New York-based historian who focused largely on the Lower East Side, working since 2000 at the Gotham Center for New York City History. Her work featured in a wide array of publications, exhibitions and educational programs.

On June 26, 2017, she passed away as a result of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), at the age of 60.

As the Gotham Center’s associate director and later its director, Suzanne oversaw teaching programs designed to bring the city’s history into school classrooms. She also organized the Gotham History Festival — a series of free panels, papers, films and exhibitions — a few weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks.

During her time there, she also built a second career as a filmmaker, producing and directing four documentaries.

“People occasionally drop by the Gotham Center office and expect to see a dozen people beavering away at cubicles and are invariably astounded to discover that this fountain of productivity was bubbling out of the desk of one woman,” said Mike Wallace, the Gotham Center’s founding director.

Born on May 26, 1957, to Edward Wasserman, a psychoanalyst, and the former Eileen Kronberg, a homemaker. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin and earned her Ph.D. from New York University. Prior to her tenure at the Gotham Center, she taught at N.Y.U., the New School for Social Research and Iona College.

In addition to her son, Raphael, Ms. Wasserman is survived by her husband, David Stern, and her sisters, Tina, Stephanie and Nadine Wasserman.

Thanh would be described by many as loud, strong-willed, fun-loving and beautiful. She was the second eldest of six children to Thuyen and Nhiem Nguyen. Thanh migrated to America with her family as refugees during the Vietnam War in 1975. She eventually settled in Orange County, CA where she built a life and a family of her own.

Thanh was a hard worker and always put her family first. She worked for decades as a Quality Assurance professional in Commercial, Aerospace and Defense segments. She even took second jobs to provide for her family and night classes to refine her English skills. Thanh was a devoted wife and dedicated mother always ensuring her family had everything they needed. Regardless of her responsibilities, Thanh always knew how to have a good time. You could often find her being the life of the party, joking around and laughing loudly. 

She loved her two dogs, Jasmine and Rocky. She also loved living near the beach and traveling to places like Hawaii, New York, and Malaysia when she had the chance. She was a great cook and enjoyed spending time with her extended family.

We started to see a shift in Thanh early on in the last decade. She was misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s then had Stage III Uterine Cancer and lifelong Lymphedema as a result. In her advanced stages she was misdiagnosed again with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). It wasn’t until May 2020 when we got a third opinion that it was discovered she actually had the rare neurological disorder, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). It was hard to find accessible expertise on this disease but based on all the information we could gather through research, everything finally made sense.

Aside from the many, many health complications as a result of Thanh’s illnesses, her body gradually shut down over the years from mobility to speech and lastly even the ability to swallow. Everything went but her mind. She fought it to the very end though, as always. It’s that same stubborn nature that she was lovingly known for that got her so far. In spite of everything, Thanh took it upon herself to enjoy every last moment of life she could. 

When Thanh tested positive for COVID in November 2020, things took a rapid turn in the last few weeks. But even then, she was able to flash a small smile when something made her laugh. She hung on to her spirit until the very end. She peacefully surrendered her fight in December 2020 with her best friend and youngest sister, Chau, by her side. She was 65 years young.  

Thanh would’ve wanted to be remembered as she was before she got sick––the years she was beautiful and bright. So, our family is committing to only celebrate when she truly lived.

We are thankful for all the support we’ve had over the last 10 years from family, friends, caregivers, and legal/medical teams. We are especially thankful for organizations like Cure PSP that provide resources for rare diseases that currently have no cure. Our hope with this Tribute Fund is to contribute to a community that can help other families and honor Thanh’s life by one day saving another. 

Thanh would be described by many as loud, strong-willed, fun-loving, and beautiful. She was the second eldest of six children to Thuyen and Nhiem Nguyen. Thanh migrated to America with her family as refugees during the Vietnam War in 1975. She eventually settled in Orange County, CA, where she built a life and a family of her own.

Thanh was a hard worker and always put her family first. She worked for decades as a Quality Assurance professional in Commercial, Aerospace, and Defense segments. She even took second jobs to provide for her family and night classes to refine her English skills. Thanh was a devoted wife and dedicated mother, always ensuring her family had everything they needed. Regardless of her responsibilities, Thanh always knew how to have a good time. You could often find her being the life of the party, joking around and laughing loudly. 

She loved her two dogs, Jasmine and Rocky. She also loved living near the beach and traveling to places like Hawaii, New York, and Malaysia when she had the chance. She was a great cook and enjoyed spending time with her extended family.

We started to see a shift in Thanh early on in the last decade. She was misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s then had Stage III Uterine Cancer and lifelong Lymphedema as a result. In her advanced stages, she was misdiagnosed again with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). It wasn’t until May 2020 that when we got a third opinion, it was discovered she had the rare neurological disorder, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). It was hard to find accessible expertise on this disease but based on all the information we could gather through research, everything finally made sense.

Aside from the many, many health complications resulting from Thanh’s illnesses, her body gradually shut down over the years from mobility to speech and, lastly, even the ability to swallow. Everything went, but her mind. She fought it to the very end, though, as always. It’s that same stubborn nature that she was lovingly known for that got her so far. Despite everything, Thanh took it upon herself to enjoy every last moment of life she could. 

When Thanh tested positive for COVID in November 2020, things took a rapid turn in the last few weeks. But even then, she was able to flash a small smile when something made her laugh. She hung on to her spirit until the very end. She peacefully surrendered her fight in December 2020 with her best friend and youngest sister, Chau, by her side. She was 65 years young.  

Thanh would’ve wanted to be remembered as she was before she got sick––the years she was beautiful and bright. So, our family is committing only to celebrate when she truly lived.

We are thankful for all the support we’ve had over the last ten years from family, friends, caregivers, and legal/medical teams. We are incredibly thankful for organizations like Cure PSP that provide resources for rare diseases that currently have no cure. Our hope with this Tribute Fund is to contribute to a community that can help other families and honors Thanh’s life by one day saving another. 

Our beloved father, grandfather, husband, and visionary Thilo Hilpert passed away on October 19, 2025, in Vienna. Thilo faced the very rare and cruel disease PSP with tremendous strength and resilience. This strength was a thread that ran through his entire life. He tirelessly researched, wrote, taught, and built partnerships and friendships that reached as far as China, the USA and Europe.

Born in 1947 in Köthen, Germany, he dedicated his life to researching modern architecture. As one of the most profound experts on Le Corbusier, he conducted research on the renowned architect's estate in Paris beginning in 1970 and earned his doctorate with summa cum laude. His academic career took him from Berlin to Damascus and finally to Wiesbaden, where he taught as a professor at Hochschule RheinMain from 1984 to 2012. With over ten books on Le Corbusier, Bruno Taut, Mies van der Rohe, and the Bauhaus, he shaped generations of students, many of whom he remained in close contact with until the end, supporting them with everything he had, could do, and knew.

Yet what truly distinguished him was not only his scientific brilliance but also his role as a family man and husband, in which he stood by us in every respect and matter – with his humor, his wisdom, and his sense of duty. My father took me on his travels, shared his passion for architecture and culture, and showed me how to go through life with curiosity, enthusiasm, and confidence.

With your donation to CurePSP, you not only honor the memory of an extraordinary person but also contribute to advancing research so that other families may be spared suffering in the future. Every contribution helps make a future without PSP possible – a vision that would have been close to my father's heart.

Thank you for carrying on his legacy with us.

Todd Heagle was born on August 29, 1965, in Appleton, Wisconsin, to Earl and Judy Heagle. On November 9, 2025, Todd peacefully entered the kingdom of Heaven, surrounded by his devoted family, after courageously facing a three-year battle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). Though his journey on earth has ended, his spirit of love, faith, and joy lives on forever in the hearts that knew him.

Todd graduated from Ankeny High School in 1984, excelling both on and off the field – running track, playing football and forming friendships that lasted a lifetime. His passion for teamwork continued as he played defensive back for Dana College, where he earned his degree in Finance. He later retired from Apria Home Healthcare after 25 years managing the district offices in Des Moines and Ottumwa.

On May 2, 1992, he married the love of his life, Lisa (Johnson) Heagle. Together they built a beautiful family rooted in love, laughter and faith. Todd and Lisa were blessed with three incredible children – Paige, Cole and Jordan – who were truly the light of his life. Recently, Todd’s heart grew even fuller as he welcomed his daughter-in-law, Emily, and first grandchild, Colter “Colt” Todd, who brought immeasurable joy and pride to his final year.

Todd lived each day with purpose, generosity and a smile that could light up any room. Whether he was coaching his kids’ teams, fishing or hunting outdoors, or manning the grill at a tailgate, Todd brought people together. His legendary cooking, contagious laughter and welcoming spirit turned every gathering into a celebration. A loyal Green Bay Packers fan and lover of all things outdoors - golfing, biking or simply spending time in God’s creation - Todd embraced life with gratitude and adventure.

Todd’s greatest legacy is the love he poured into his family and friends. He is survived by his beloved wife of 33 years, Lisa; their children, Paige (Tommy Kissen), Cole (Emily Allee) and Jordan; and his treasured grandson, Colter. He is also lovingly remembered by his parents, Judy Slania and Earl Heagle; his siblings, Kim Sokol, Kelly (John) Chambers and Cory Heagle; and many nieces, nephews and friends who became family. Todd is welcomed into Heaven by his mother-in-law, Marcia Johnson.

A Tribute to Zeina Allaf  Zeina Allaf will forever be remembered for her warmth, selfless generosity and dedication to her family. She passed away on the evening of Sunday August 27, 2023 at the age of 74 after six years of living with PSP.

Zeina was officially diagnosed with PSP in July 2020 after two years of battling a myriad of perplexing symptoms including anxiety, depression, difficulty moving, difficulty with language, and many falls. She was a true warrior and fought PSP as hard as she could.

Born and raised in a small village in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, Zeina moved to Kuwait when she was 20 years old after marrying Ezzedine Allaf, a Lebanese man living and working in Kuwait. They had four children together. Zeina’s children were the joy of her life and she dedicated herself to them, sacrificing herself in the process.

Even though Zeina and her husband had not planned to move to the United States, Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 and Lebanon’s continued instability led the family to move to the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where Zeina and the children stayed while Ezzedine traveled back and forth to Kuwait for work. Alone in a new country with limited English, Zeina needed to be both mother and father while she herself was adjusting. She taught herself English, sought employment to help the family stay afloat, and built a new life for her family. Zeina and Ezzedine’s hard work and sacrifice enabled their four children to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees and become successful professionals.

An energetic, active woman, Zeina was most well known for her outstanding cooking and baking. She was able to recreate a dish at home after tasting it only once! Her home was never without something delicious freshly made. She made sure that anyone who visited ate well and felt at home; one always left her house with a full stomach and a full heart.

Zeina was most excited to become a grandmother - a ‘Teta’ in Lebanese - and was delighted when her children, finally, married and had children of their own. Zeina gave endlessly to others and most especially to her children and grandchildren. Her endless love lives on through them. ‘Teta’ will forever live in their hearts.

Thank you for donating to Cure PSP in her memory. We hope more is learned about this disease so others do not have to suffer as she did. May she rest in peace.