August 2021 CRF Newsletter – End of Summer Updates

After a difficult 28 days in the hospital, Emiliano was able to return home feeling stronger than ever! Emiliano’s walking has been improving day by day thanks to his new friend Frida, a service dog who will be supporting him during his DIPG journey. Frida is a six-year-old black labrador. They say that when Emi met her it was like love as first sight.

Emiliano’s speech has improved drastically and due to physical therapy three times a day, he is able to walk short distances with help.

We only hope that Emiliano’s happy disposition remains and he improves more and more each day. Remember that your support has directly helped Emiliano and his family along the way. Full Steam Ahead!

Our celebrity gala is back and better than ever. After a season of waiting, we’re ready to celebrate and raise money once again toward DIPG research and helping families in need.

Love is what we need to win the fight against DIPG. The evening of our 12th Annual CRF Celebrity Gala will be a night to share in positivity as we celebrate this year’s theme of LOVE.

Attending our gala means experiencing a night you’ll never forget. We will be having incredible performances, celebrity guests, exciting live and silent auctions featuring one-of-a-kind items and experiences, and inspiring stories from many families and individuals facing DIPG. We hope to see you there!

On behalf of everyone at CRF we’d like to wish our founder a happy birthday. 12 years ago John’s life was changed forever when his son Cristian was given a terminal diagnosis. John channeled his pain into desiring to help other children and families making our foundation what it is today.

Happy birthday, John!
Thank you for everything you do.

Meet our board member, Paul Pristavec! Paul is a wealth management advisor at Merrill Lynch and has been for 25 years. In his free time he enjoys coaching basketball for his children’s teams, eating at great restaurants, and taking his family on trips.

What is DIPG
(Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma)?

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma or DIPG, is a Rare, Inoperable Brain Stem Tumor that predominantly affects children between the ages of 2 and 10. Only 200-300 cases are discovered in the United States each year and because there is no cure, it’s young victims only have an average of 3-18 months to live, after they’ve been diagnosed. There are NO SURVIVORS.

Who is
The Cristian Rivera Foundation?

The Cristian Rivera Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) Non-Profit Organization that works tirelessly, in order to raise awareness and funds to one day put a STOP to this disease. The Cristian Rivera Foundation funds the work of Dr. Mark Souweidane of Weill Cornell Medical Center – Memorial Sloane (Kettering) Cancer Center and Dr. Oren Becher of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital and the Lurie Cancer center at Northwestern University. Both Doctors are conducting promising research and trials that have shown promising results. We are CLOSE to a CURE!

• Help us by making a Donation.
• Every Donation Big or Small, will help us achieve our goal.
• Help spread the word to your family, friends and Colleagues.

Founder:
John “Gungie” Rivera
"Forever Cristian’s Daddy"

Board of Directors:
Carlos Yepez and Darlene Rodriguez.

Committee Members:
Aldo Marin, Alex Arizmendi, Alex Garcia,
Carlos Colon, Fernando Ferrer,
Francesco Quattrone, Jarrad Seuferling,
Kenan Thompson, Luis Guzman,
Meiling Macias Toro, Paul Pristavec, Rafael Toro,
Rena Kliot, and Steve Cox.

Supporters:
Ben Velazquez, David Rodriguez,
Dr. Manuel A. Moran, Ed Martin, Karla De Epstein,
Michael V. Narvaez, and William Pla.

Chairman of the Board:
Andy Epstein


Director:
Sarde Laurente

Committee Friends:
Alberto Torres, Edward Caban, Elis Pacheco,
Maggie Meehan, Mark Rosner, Melinda Colon Cox,
and Vanessa Rodriguez, and Vito Bruno.




Honorary Committee Members:
The Late Anthony Mason
and The Late Miriam Colon.

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