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.