This week I got a phone call from John Gungie Rivera, the head of the Cristian Rivera Foundation. Cristian was a little boy who died of a very rare brain cancer at the age of six.
Since then his father John has taken on a very serious fight to try to find a cure.
John Gungie Rivera has been widely known and praised by some of the biggest music producers in the world of entertainment. His work on bringing some of the greatest Latin artists to Madison Square Garden is legendary.
When his pride and joy (Cristian) was lost to this devastating disease John decided to not let his son’s death be in vain.
For the last fifteen years this man has sought out some of the best doctors in the world including Dr. Mark Souweidane who has also made it his mission to find a cure for the brain cancer known as D.I.P.G. If you check on the internet you can find out what these horrid letters actually mean.
I actually met John when I was producing a children’s animated film (HENRY & ME) about a little boy with brain cancer who loved baseball.
I thought that it would be a good idea to have John review it because with his experience only he would know best.
To this day I still get sick to my stomach because of what I did to that man. I had left him alone in the screaming room so that he could watch it without any distractions. When the film was almost over I walked in and found John with his hands on his head crying like a baby. I grabbed him and we cried together.
The incredible thing about John is that every child that comes into his program instantly becomes his own.
I have seen some kids live longer than they were projected to and the incredible happiness that it brings John and kids that unfortunately have died and the agonizing pain that this has given John. There is absolutely nothing that this man won’t do for these kids.
Let me add that these kids come from all over the world.
When John called me this week he reminded me that the Yankees were going to Mexico to play two exhibition games against Mexico’s national professional team, the Diablos Rojos.
He told me that he had a little boy in Mexico City who was excited about the Yankees coming to his hometown. The little boys name is Emiliano and he has D.I.P.G. He is 7 years old and the most courageous little boy I have ever seen.
John told me that he had to have his parents get him to one of the games but all tickets were already sold out. Naturally, I thought about my childhood pal that actually got this event to fruition, Omar Minaya. I know I’m going to get into hot water with Omar because he hates public acknowledgment. This situation however is important because the happiness that a game like this can bring to Emiliano miraculously could possibly save his life. I also know that Omar is a sucker for helping beautiful children.
The world of the Yankees has always served as a miracle medicine for people in need, especially sick kids since the days of Babe Ruth. One year the Babe went to Japan before the Second World War and when children in hospitals heard that the Babe was in the country they cried for him to visit… And He Did!
This is what the magic of the Yankees means to the world.
I hope that the Yankees continue this world wide crusade so that the new generation of baseball fans can grow up and learn about the history and magic of the Yankees.
A special thanks to the Yankees brain trust for understanding the magnitude and importance of this trip to Mexico and other countries.
Oh and by the way… Omar, please find 3 tickets for Emiliano and his Mom & Dad.
