Daddy

Monday 3rd of October 2011

This weekend I received devastating news from Puerto Rico. My 17-year-old godson, and JC and Cristian’s godbrother, Joshua Melendez had his life taken much too soon. He was such a great kid with so much talent. He was very special and my heart goes out to him. I love him and I will miss him very much.

Every day I am reminded that young lives can be cut short so senselessly for all sorts of reasons. I’ve been getting calls from DIPG parents all over the country who heard about the Cristian Rivera Foundation and are impressed by the work we do. I talk to them and give them advice, but it breaks my heart to know that these young children have received the same death sentence as Cristian and will not get the chance to grow up. I can’t wait for the day when the calls I get are not about children dying from DIPG but about children whose lives we saved through the work of Dr. Mark Souweidane.

John “Gungie” Rivera
Forever Cristian’s Daddy