"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." – Dr. Seuss
Cristian Rivera was born on September 13th, 2002. September will always be a month of remembrance for CRF for Cristian, who would have been 21 years old this year. This month’s edition of the CRF newsletter is dedicated to him.
Thank you to all of our supporters who have dedicated their time, energy, and finances to our cause. Cristian would have loved to see so many people changing the world in his name.
Happy Birthday Cristian, We Love You 10!
We would also like to send some extra special birthday wishes to D.I.P.G. Warrior Lisha Ayala!
Lisha was first diagnosed with D.I.P.G. at 7 years old, meaning she has lived with D.I.P.G. for many years now! Lisha is one of the first ever D.I.P.G. survivors. She continues to give us immense hope and confidence in our work for a cure.
Happy Birthday Lisha! We Love You 10!
In 2012, President Barack Obama proclaimed this month as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month so that pediatric cancer, the leading cause of death by disease for children under 14 years old, would be brought to light and given the attention it deserves.
The gold ribbon represents how resilient childhood cancer heroes are and serves as a reminder for how precious children are.
14th Annual Cristian Rivera Foundation Celebrity Gala
Don’t forget to save the date for the 14th Annual CRF Celebrity Gala on Wednesday, November 15th, 2023 at Capitale, NYC! Act fast and save your seat! We are currently over 85% capacity. The Gala will be an evening of Faith. We at CRF have faith that a cure for DIPG is within our grasp and you can help us achieve that goal! You can play a part in this groundbreaking cure. Get your seat today at cristianriverafoundation.org/14thannualcrfgala
Edward Caban
September 8th
All of us at CRF would like to wish you the happiest of birthdays! We could not do what we do here without you, and we appreciate your support and dedication to our cause more than you will ever know. We Love You 10!
Joan has since then undergone radiation and is currently participating in UCSF clinical trials. His family has traveled from Switzerland all the way to San Francisco for Joan to start a new type of experimental trial, in hopes of being cured. To read more about Joan’s story, visit cristianriverafoundation.org/joan-paskalev
Angels are members of our community who have lose the hard battle against D.I.P.G. but inspire us to strive for our foundation’s goals. By sharing their personal experiences with D.I.P.G. to the rest of the world, we’re able to amplify the urgency to find a cure. We work in honor of our angels, so that no other child or family will lose a life to D.I.P.G. again.
This month we remember the birthdays of our Angels! Happy Birthday to our Angels. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones. These angels will never be forgotten.
Committee Members:
Aldo Marin, Carlos Colon, Edgar Berlanga, Fernando Ferrer, Gio Urshela, Jarrad Seuferling, Kenan Thompson, Luis Guzman,
Meiling Macias Toro,
Paul Pristavec, Rafael Toro, Steve Cox
and Vanessa Rodriguez
Committee Friends:
Alex Garcia, Maggie Meehan,
Mark Rosner, and Michael V. Narvaez
Honorary Committee Members:
The Late Anthony Mason
and The Late Miriam Colon
