A Recognition Ceremony for the Alyssa Alvin Foundation for Hope (AAFH) was held at the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara on Tuesday, October 13, 2020. The ceremony was coordinated by Dr. Martha Juarez, an AAFH Board Member, and the Directors of Hospital Civil de Guadalajara. Yoli-President and George-Vice President of AAFH were present at the ceremony to graciously receive the recognition award.
Yoli met Dra. Martha and Dr. Christian Hawa 5 years ago during Yoli’s first visit to Guadalajara in November 2015. Since then, Dra. Martha & Dr. Christian have continued to promote the AAFH and the music and art services made available to young oncology patients at Hospital Civil de Guadalajara. The Hospital Civil de Guadalajara is comprised of two hospital units, the old Fray Antonio Alcalde Hospital and the new Dr Juan I. Menchaca Hospital, both are located in the center of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
A welcome event was given by the leaders of the hospitals: Dr. Benjamín Becerra Rodríguez, Director of Nuevo (new) Hospital Civil de Guadalajara “Dr. Juan I. Menchaca” and Dr. Rafael Santana Ortiz, Director of Antiguo (old) Hospital Civil de Guadalajara “Fray Antonio Alcalde”.
In the audience were 13 of the young patients who were to receive a gift from AAFH. Others in the audience included various doctors and supporting staff. Yoli spoke to the audience about the AAFH mission, our art & music services, and the gift recipient program available for teens and young adult patients receiving treatment for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
During this trip to Guadalajara, AAFH delivered six guitars, two keyboards, one violin and four headphones to the young patients through our gift giving program. Twenty Alyssa Starter Art Kits (SAKs) were also donated to the hospitals for their young patients!
We wish to thank Dr. Martha, her husband Hugo, her daughter-Nadia and staff member-Karla for their volunteering efforts in helping us purchase and deliver these gifts for the patients.
Finally, Dr. Teresita Villaseñor Cabrera, Head of Psychology. and Dr. Mario Segura Ortega, Chief of the Paramedic Services Division of the Antiguo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara “Fray Antonio Alcalde” presented Yoli with a plaque of Recognition to Alyssa Alvin Foundation for Hope in recognition of our Foundation’s spirit of service, commitment and philanthropy, by our donations of art materials and musical instruments for the benefit of children and adolescents who are being treated in the Oncology and Hematology services of the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara.
The event ended with the presentation of gifts to each young recipient. Below are pictures of the recipients with their gifts.
