St. Luke's Student Battles Tumor

The Farmingdale community is mobilizing to help the family of Valentina Bravin, a 4-year-old student at batting a brain tumor.

There is a fundraiser on Sept. 17 at the from 7-11 p.m. The night will include food, karaoke, music and raffle tickets for prizes. The suggested donation is $50 at the door to help the Bravin family with medical bills and expenses.

Bravin was recently diagnosed with DIPG, a rare inoperable brainstem tumor. Due to its location and the speed at which the tumor grows, treatment options are very limited. Currently the family is in Texas where she is receiving a course of radiation. 

"We need to raise money so her parents can investigate ever possibility out there," said fundraiser organizer Lisa Klein, whose daughter Samantha has been friends with Valentina since they met last year in nursery school at St. Luke's.

Klein said that Dr. Mark Souweidane of Weill Cornell Medical College and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center are currently working on some cutting edge research that could provide hope.

If you cannot attend the fundraiser Saturday but would still like to contribute, please mail your donation to:

Friends of Valentina
c/o C. Aiello
3317 Fourth Street
Oceanside, NY  11572

For further information you can contact Lisa Klein at 516-752-1179.