On January 31st, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency. Less than two months later, on March 11th, the WHO officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Since then we have all been experiencing on and off lockdowns and our whole lives changed. We all had to get used to a new […]
The Cristian Rivera Foundation first connected with Maria Kuenster, a 23-year-old woman fighting DIPG, in January 2021. Since then, we have followed along on her courageous battle with the disease. Maria flew to Seattle, Washington, to take part in the CAR-T Cell Therapy trial at Seattle Children’s Hospital on January 3, 2021. One of the […]
Last week we were able to catch up with Lisa Ward, the mother of our dear friend and DIPG warrior Jace. For those of you who may remember, Jace attended our 11th Annual CRF Celebrity Gala in November of 2019 and blew the crowd away with his motivation and charm. He was diagnosed with DIPG […]
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma is a type of cancer that involves highly aggressive tumors located in the brainstem. It impacts many of the body’s functions such as breathing, eating, and movement. Around 300 children are diagnosed with DIPG in the United States every year. When diagnosed, most are given 9 to 12 months to live. […]
Weston Wiens is 5 ½ years old and was diagnosed with the horrible disease that is DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) on October 3, 2017. The average survival time after diagnosis is 9 months, yet Wes is still fighting 3 years later. Katie, Wes’s mother, says that it felt like her entire world was turned […]
DIPG is a wretched illness that takes children away from their families too quickly. Unlike many other cancers, chemotherapy and radiation often merely prolong life rather than save it. However, one little girl and her family in New Zealand took a different approach. Elyse Johnson is a sweet, loving little girl who was brought into […]
Emily Hood was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) in February of 2019. As a junior in high school and being only 17 years old at the time, this was a shocking diagnosis. Where most people would have reacted with anger or bitterness, Emily described feeling calm. She said she was ready and didn’t […]
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 […]
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 […]
To ensure you receive our emails, please add info@cristianriverafoundation.org to your address book. Email not displaying correctly?View it in your browser. Cristian Rivera Foundation 2020 August Newsletter Happy August from all of us here at CRF! August is World Cancer Support Month. Do you know someone living with cancer or another serious illness and want […]
