A Message from Ari's parents, Dean & Alissa Gould:

Dear Friends,

As some of you may know, 6 long months ago, in October 2009, our brave, strong lion, Ari David, was diagnosed with cancer, specifically Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, known as ALL.  As strange it sounds and trust me, as strange as it has been to say: we are thankful he had ALL and not some other form of cancer. The average rate of total cure for this horrible disease is today 85%. As you know, as great as that sounds, the road has not been easy.  No one should have to go through chemo, no matter how good the odds for cure.

Unfortunately, other childhood cancers do not have as high as cure rates and many of these children must undergo radiation treatments and surgery, in addition to chemotherapy. The good news is that doctors, like Dr. Jerry Finklestein, the Director at Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach California, are continually studying less toxic treatments every day so that one day, there will hopefully be pharmaceuticals that just attack cancer cells and nothing else and the treatment time will be weeks rather than three years and three months; the current treatment period for boys. Other new non-pharmaceutical treatments are also being developed and studied.

Those first days, we were numb to the world.  We kept asking ourselves and everyone else, Why?  Why Ari; the happiest 3.5 year old in the world?  Being a guy that needs answers, there just weren’t any.  So we could only conclude that somehow, some way good would come out of this.  What could we do to bring about some good?  Like others, we decided to get involved in the fight against cancer.

Well, Ari loves music and got to see the Moshav Band when he was two.

Since then he has been obsessed with their music and requests we listen to their CD’s every time we get in my car.  The idea struck us that we should put together a concert, in honor of Ari, and to raise money for the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach.

We have learned a lot about many different things since this journey began and three of those things are:

1. If anyone’s child should have a serious condition, they must get to a pediatric hospital where they specialize in these childhood illnesses and can give a child the proper care they need
2. Miller Children’s is an incredible hospital and Dr. Jerry Finklestein and his team of oncologists, Dr. Patel, Dr. Simon, and Dr. Groncy are the best in the business.
3. Dr. Finklestein is a world renown oncologist who has dedicated the last 35+ years from taking ALL from a death sentence to the current rate of cure of 85%.  He has worked tirelessly to raise the cure rates of many other cancers afflicting children and over the years he has assembled a tremendous team of physicians.  They continue their work to cure all children cancers and thus the money we raise will further the cause to stamp out childhood cancers of all types around the world.

You see, they are part of the Children’s Oncology Group made up of physicians around the world working in concert to cure cancers afflicting children.  Of course, the work they do benefits adults indirectly as well.  The studies conducted at Miller Children’s is part of even larger world wide studies.  The Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center not only benefits Children in the South Bay but really all over the world.

On Sunday, May 30th, 2010 at 5pm, we present the Moshav Band, live in concert for 350 special people.  The concert will be held at the JCC South Bay.  The outpouring of support for us has been overwhelming.  While a small group of close friends have been cooking dinners for us weekly, many other kind friends have asked, “What can we do?”

Well, here’s something everyone can do for the South Bay, children all over the world, and the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center.  For a donation, they will get to spend an evening with friends listening to the Moshav Band and contribute to the ALL research.  By that time, Ari will hopefully be into his maintenance chemo period and will be able to attend the show.

 - Dean and Alissa Gould

Well, here’s something everyone can do for children all over the world, and the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center.

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