Category: Daddy

Organizers of the 4th Annual Walk for Health Walk-a-Thon PONTE-EN-FORMA have chosen the Cristian Rivera Foundation to benefit from the event. All of the proceeds raised will go to us so that we can then give more money to Dr. Mark Souweidane to fund his research trials.

On March 17, 18 and 19, I was in Cincinnati for a DIPG symposium and gala held by The Cure Starts Now. The weekend started out hectic. I missed my flight and had to go to Chicago first. But while I was there, I got to eat at Il Molino, which was one of the restaurants Cristian loved to go to with me in New York and Puerto Rico.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to talk with Rosemary Lora and Gabriel Villamil over dinner, who, like me, lost their child to DIPG. I first heard about their son Javier, who they used to call Buji, after Buji’s aunt Fulvia Gonzalez heard about me on the Yahoo DIPG Group and decided to reach out.

On Sunday, January 25th 2009, I lost my son Cristian to Pontine Glioma, a rare form of brain cancer that has no cure. On Tuesday March 10th, 2009 I had another painful loss, I lost my partner, my mentor, my friend, my brother and my second father.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to talk with Rosemary Lora and Gabriel Villamil over dinner, who, like me, lost their child to DIPG. I first heard about their son Javier, who they used to call Buji, after Buji’s aunt Fulvia Gonzalez heard about me on the Yahoo DIPG Group and decided to reach out.

I’m looking forward to attending the Once in a Lifetime Superheroes Gala and Auction, held by The Cure Starts Now on Saturday, March 19 at the Duke Energy Center’s Grand Ballroom in Cincinnati, Ohio. I’ll be there to represent the Cristian Rivera Foundation.

Last week I received some very exciting news. Researchers at Stanford University had a major breakthrough where they were able to use tumors donated from five children—including Dylan Jewett who, just like Cristian, loved Thomas the Train—to create a model of a DIPG tumor in mice.

On Tuesday, March 1st I attended a Celebration of Life for my friend Vivian Rivera, who passed away of a brain tumor on January 6th. Vivian was so courageous throughout her life. She had already fought a successful battle against breast cancer before being diagnosed with a brain tumor.