5 Ways to Move Full Steam Ahead in the New Year
“New Year, New Me!” We hear it everywhere this time of year, but how do you really make the best of the new year? Here are 5 ways to move Full Steam Ahead through 2021! Take Care of Yourself In the hustle and bustle of life we often forget to take care of ourselves mentally […]
Marc Jr Foundation and Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation Host Monthly DIPG Parent Talk
Two important organizations that are currently making a difference in the DIPG community are The Marc Jr Foundation and the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation. Both of these organizations have teamed up to provide support for parents who have lost a child to DIPG. This bereavement group gets together over a monthly group call and offers […]
Working Towards a Cure: Exploring 2 Potential DIPG Treatments
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma is a brain tumor found in a part of the brainstem called the pons. The pons controls vital functions such as breathing, sleeping, swallowing and regulating the heart rate. It is also where many important signals pass from the brain to the rest of the body. DIPG brain tumors are usually […]
Beyond the Tumor: Fighting DIPG as an Adult
In June 2020, Maria Kuenster was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma at the age of 22. She had recently graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelors of Science in Health Science and was looking forward to a job opportunity in Chicago. Unfortunately, her life was turned upside down when she went in […]
Remembering Cristian Alexander Rivera
Today marks twelve years since the passing of my son Cristian Alexander Rivera. Cristian is remembered for all of the love and joy that he brought to me and everyone he met. I reflect on some of these cherished memories today. Cristian’s legacy continues to live on through the Cristian Rivera Foundation as we work […]
Working Towards A Cure: Read the Latest DIPG News!
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas do not have a cure. There are many doctors and researchers working to find the solution to this terrible disease. The tumor is inoperable due to its delicate location in the pons. This area controls vital functions such as breathing and heart rate. The growth pattern of this type of tumor […]
Full Steam Ahead: Promising Research Results and New Funding for DIPG
As we enter 2021, things are looking promising for the research side of DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma)! In particular, there have been discoveries at the University of Michigan using mice models that could lead to a new treatment. Researchers also received a large grant to fund their DIPG project in Switzerland and Norway. We […]
2020: A Year in Review
2020 has been a year full of surprises with a pandemic and the usual unexpected twists and turns of life. Check out the top music, google searches, pets, baby names and more below to review the crazy year we have had! Music has been a guiding light during the quarantine and social distancing of 2020. […]
5 New Year’s Resolutions You Can Keep For More Than One Week
The year 2020 gave us numerous reasons to push off our New Year’s resolutions. It started with the fires in Australia, then came the novel Coronavirus. COVID-19 put a halt on life as we knew it and put a strain on communities across the world. In particular, families struggling with DIPG have been negatively impacted, […]
5 Fun Things to do This Holiday Season
The holidays are finally here! This season is a little different than it was in the past but that shouldn’t stop you from having a great time. There are so many safe and fun things to do this year so here are five ideas to get you started. 1. Making Ornaments This year has been […]