The Louise Tumarkin Zazove Foundation celebrates the incredible life of an extraordinary woman! Born in 1915 in New York City, Louise Tumarkin was the eldest child of Russian immigrant parents. Despite the challenges of her time, she pursued her dream of becoming a physician and became the only woman accepted into the Chicago Medical School's class of 1949! After marrying fellow medical student Earl Zazove, they became family doctors, established their practices in Chicago, and began to grow their family

When they discovered their 4-year-old son had profound bilateral hearing loss, Louise took it upon herself to become an expert in hearing loss and seeking the best educational paths for her son. While many believed he should attend a special school for the Deaf, Louise and Earl boldly fought for mainstreaming their son, Philip, in the public schools, empowering him to thrive in the hearing world. Their son went on to become one of the first deaf physicians in the United States, achieving advanced degrees in medicine and business, and ultimately serving as chair of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School!