Looks like guests had fun dancing! See more pictures of La Fiesta de Arte on AlyssaalvinfoundationforHope Gallery section of the website!
Happy Teen!
Teen enjoys Art Night!
More Smiles with Music!
AAFH Volunteer Musician's Perform at Lurie Children's
Go to the Gallery Gift Recipients section of our website to read Manuel's story.
Marianne and Yoli arriving with Musical Instruments at Central DuPage Hospital!
Honoring another Gift Recipient!
1st Music Night at RMH!
A week ago, a group of volunteers came to the Alvin House to prepare Alyssa's Starter Art Kits (SAKs). Some of the professional art supplies were previously donated to Alyssa Alvin Foundation for Hope and some were purchased to create Alyssa's SAKs.
Alyssa's SAKs included an art bag, canvas, paints, brushes, palette, colored pencils and sketch paper. Each art bag had Alyssa's Foundation Logo hand written on it. The volunteers also wrote a special note for the recipient of Alyssa's SAKs.
The volunteers prepared 15 of Alyssa's SAKs; 8 for young adults & 7 for young teens.
It was a fun experience for the volunteers and they enjoyed lunch with the Alvin's.
On Thursday, August 20th, George and Yoli delivered 10 of Alyssa's SAKs to Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. We also delivered 4 more musical instruments (electric guitar, bass guitar, amplifier and DJ Mixer. Both the Music Therapist and Art Therapist welcomed us.
Here's an excerpt from the letter we received from Lurie Children's Hospital Staff - "you create a better, brighter and more fun healing environment for our children. It was so nice to see you and we truly appreciate the time and dedication it took to get Alyssa's SAKs together and delivered to us".
On Friday, August 21st, Yoli delivered 5 of Alyssa's SAKs to Ronald McDonald House near Central DuPage Hospital and 3 more musical instruments (2 electronic keyboards and 1 flute).
Release 20 Balloons to celebrate Alyssa's birthday at Wheeler Park in Geneva, IL. Click on the link below and read the entire blog. Also, visit the Main Gallery on Alyssa Alvin Foundation for Hope to see the pictures from the Miniature Golf Benefit. Thank you for being part of Alyssa's Team!
July 23 is a Special Day because that is the day Alyssa was born. She would be 20 years today. Alyssa loved celebrating her birthday and everyone else's birthdays too. We remember all of Alyssa's Birthdays and the parties we held for her with family and friends. Sharing, caring & loving is what Alyssa showed us on a daily basis. Today, share, care and love someone in honor of Alyssa! Click on the link to read the entire blog.
Doug, the grandfather of a 10 year old boy staying at Lurie Children's Hospital was quoted as saying "That was the best meal since I've been here". He was happy to talk to the AAFH volunteers! Left to right: Incoming Executive Secretary-Denise, Advisory Board Member-Dan, Co-Founder-Yoli, Chef Volunteer-Rafael, Volunteer-Tom, RMH guest-Doug, Volunteers-John, Heather & Nancy
We are saddened by the news that a dear friend, Nathan L., passed away. Nathan is special because, like Alyssa, he cared for others. When Alyssa was at Lurie Children’s Hospital and Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago last year, Nathan visited Alyssa and gave her encouragement and hope. Even when Nathan was being treated for a cancerous tumor at Northwestern Hospital, he still made time to visit Alyssa.
We were honored to have Nathan as our guest speaker at the Alyssa Alvin Foundation for Hope 1st Benefit Recital in April, 2015. Nathan was 24 years old, attended GHS and completed his degree at U of I.
We are praying for Nathan’s parents as they mourn the loss of their beloved son. We wish them peace and comfort in the days ahead and pray that Nathan’s memories give them strength, love and hope.
Nathan and his parents will always be part of the Alyssa Alvin Foundation for Hope family. May our dear friend Nathan rest in peace and may we always remember him the rest of our lives.
Alfred playing his Italian accordion for the last time before donating it to the Alyssa Alvin Foundation for Hope (AAFH). Ronald McDonald Director, Mark Shouger (c) accepted the accordion presented by Tom Sandman (l), AAFH volunteer and Dan Modjeski (r)
I’m so happy that people have been so giving to our foundation in honor of Alyssa! We’ve collected a lot of musical instruments in the last few months! I’ve met a lot of wonderful people who have given us musical instruments, but one particular person came to mind as I write this blog post. I think we all have a story to tell and a personal reason why we give to charity organizations.
A few weeks ago, I met a man named Thomas who wanted to give us musical instruments. Thomas contacted us and said he read the Kane County Chronicle article about the Alyssa Alvin Foundation for Hope. He said that after reading the article, he knew that he found the charity that he wanted to give musical instruments to in honor of his wife Dee.
Dee passed away a few years ago. She was a musician and loved music just like Alyssa. Thomas was happy to give Dee’s instruments, which included a cello, electronic keyboard, recorder, flute and clarinet. He admired us for continuing Alyssa’s love of music and the fact that we want to bring the joyful gift of music into the lives of other young people battling cancer.
On Thursday, June 11th, we will deliver seven musical instruments to the Ronald McDonald House in Winfield and Friday, June 12th, we will deliver ten musical instruments to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. We already delivered 8 instruments to the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago during our Maud Powell String Quartet Fundraiser, which took place on Saturday, May 23rd. A total of 25 musical items received by Alyssa Alvin Foundation for Hope will be donated to these three institutions! Isn’t that amazing!
The Ronald McDonald House in Chicago (RMHC) even established a process to check-in/check-out musical instruments! The children at RMHC will be able to borrow from the Alyssa Alvin Foundation Music Instrument Collection. In addition, RHMC will be including information on how to ‘check-out’ musical instruments in the directory found in every single room. The material will show all of the instruments and music books available for the guests to borrow. Mark, the Senior House Director said, “This wonderful Foundation is allowing children with the opportunity to experience the joy of music in the face of adversity.”
I think it’s a beautiful thing that the children can be creative, have fun and enjoy music while they stay at the House! We are so excited to be able to spread the music! Thank you to all of our donors and sponsors for helping us Give Hope!
Alyssa’s love for music lives on!
Yoli Alvin
Nostalgia is a powerful feeling. It takes us back to moments in our lives which we long for the most. It’s a feeling that reminds us that, like Alyssa used to say, “yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow only a vision…”
Visiting Lurie Children’s Hospital with George and Yoli for the first time again brought back a flood of great memories of Alyssa for me. The process of getting visitor passes and taking the elevators up while children pressed ‘fun sound buttons’ during the ride were all too familiar.
Me, George, and Yoli made our way to the 17th floor of Lurie Children’s Hospital to give professional art supplies to a 17 year old cancer patient named Lexi. Lexi was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in October 2012. She has undergone various treatments and therapies, which included visits at Lurie Children’s Hospital and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Like most cases of childhood cancer, her journey has been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. But through it all, Lexi remained strong with the support of family and friends. They even have a Facebook page dedicated to Lexi’s recovery called Luv 4 Lexi! The page also contains posts from Lexi’s Mom, Jen, to keep everyone updated with Lexi’s condition. Here’s an excerpt written by Jen from May 17, 2015:
“So far, things have been going smoothly. It's been a little crazy these past few weeks. One day we had 8 different appointments scheduled, two inpatient stays, four procedures and then chemo starting...and this was all after 12 days of radiation. The spinal fluid was clear, the bone marrow was clear and the MRI looked good. She started her in-patient stay on Thursday with the start of the chemo for the transplant. So far, she's tolerating it pretty well. They had a prom last night at the hospital and she was feeling well and able to go!”
Lexi and Jen became friends of the Alvins after meeting each other in the hospital’s family lounge. The lounge was a social place where family members, patients, and visitors can hang out and relax. I met some wonderful families in the lounge when I was visiting Alyssa during her stay. Some even shared their unique experience with me, and I too, shared my experience with them. I look back at those conversations and the pattern was simple: families wanted a normal life, and simple enough, to just be happy and free from the complications that come with being a cancer patient.
This ‘strive for normalcy’ reflected my initial reaction upon entering Lexi’s room with George and Yoli. I immediately heard Pandora radio playing the latest pop hits. The room was decorated with photobooth pictures, a homemade calendar, and other precious things. There was a poem on the glass window which overlooked Lake Michigan written by one of Lexi’s friends with dry erase markers. When we got there, two of Lexi’s friends were visiting her too. The trio were hanging out and listening to Taylor Swift, probably talking about what teenagers talk about these days.
Lexi was on a wheelchair, wearing glasses and a dark seafoam green hat that says ‘Love your Melon’ which made me smile and laugh a little inside. She was a lively girl with a likeable personality.
The look in Lexi’s eyes when she saw the wrapped gifts was priceless. She let out a huge “Wow!” and we proceeded to help her open her gifts. The mahogany colored portable easel, canvasses, paints, sketchbook, and colored pencils rested on her Cookie Monster blanket as I talked to her about what she planned to create. Lexi told me that she wanted her first painting to be an ‘under the sea’ theme, dedicated to a time when she visited the island of Oahu in Hawaii. I have no doubt in my heart that her future painting will be beautiful. The view of the ocean, the warmth of the sun, the cool breeze, the gentle landscape...all of those feelings and emotions that come from her experience in Oahu will be a part of her future work of art.
I think art is more than just the expression of feelings. It’s far more poetic and complex than that. It’s about creating something that resembles the life we see in our heads. Art is the ability to look at a blank white canvas, to imagine what it could be, and to create something that has lasting significance.
I want to emphasize my point. I want you to really think about this: imagine a child who is struggling with a potentially life threatening disease, and this child acquires tools to create something out of essentially nothing, to beautify and fill the nothingness with colors, in order to show the world something that reflects who they are and what they’re going through. What a beautiful thing.
When I joined this organization to honor Alyssa, I wanted to give cancer patients the gift of art to give them hope. But the more I think about it, the opposite is actually true. The kids we’ve helped are the ones who give me hope! They helped me realize how precious life truly is. They helped me realize the importance of love, of passion, of beauty, and of all the things that makes our little world a better place.
Alyssa’s voice resonated inside my head as I wrote this story. She said “,For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow only a vision. But today, well-lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness...and every tomorrow a vision of hope.”
Alyssa’s vision of hope is alive through our organization and through the countless children we plan to help in the coming years. We’re just getting started!
Together, we will become evidence that hope exists for those who need it the most. Our vision of hope is not rhetoric, but a necessary and fundamental truth. It is our mission and our guiding principle as an organization which we all hold dearly in our hearts. Let’s spread music, art, and hope!
Give Hope.
www.alyssaalvinfoundationforhope.org/donate
For more information on Lexi and to view the Luv 4 Lexi Facebook page please visit the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/275086079326410
-Kevin Cervantes
When I began my journey with Alyssa, it instantly opened my eyes to a whole new world. I remember going into Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago feeling lost and a little scared of what to expect. I’ll never forget February 23, 2014. I still have the purple guest pass hidden away in a safe place to symbolize the first day I left the normalcy of regular day-to-day life, to joining a new world where battles are fought every single day by patients and their families.
When I first visited Alyssa, I came bearing small gifts. I stopped by the local Michael’s Arts and Craft Store in Lincoln Park to pick up art supplies. I bought Alyssa some oil pastels, craft kits and a paintable bird house. She eventually created a very special oil pastel drawing which I hold onto dearly. She also painted the bird house in the colors reminiscent of the houses in Santorini, Greece...her favorite place in the world.
When I bought the bird house, I imagined myself in the future, sitting in the backyard with a healthy and beautiful Alyssa, staring at the birdhouse as a reminder of what we went through together. I wanted the birdhouse to symbolize our freedom from the chains of cancer: birds would enter, birds would feed, and birds would freely fly away.
When a young cancer patient checks into the hospital, certain freedoms are given up. They can no longer be like normal children who can go outside and play with their friends. This new world seemed a little lonely from an outsider's perspective. In this new world, it's good to have caring doctors and nurses, but it's even better to make friends who are going through the same exact situation.
Our first gift recipient was staying in the same exact floor as Alyssa. She was going through what Alyssa was going through.
Her name is Kloe. Kloe's mom, Brandi, met Alyssa's family in the ICU family lounge. This was the beginning of a new friendship which is now part of Alyssa's Story.
When Kloe's Mom, Brandi, told me about Kloe's experience, it reminded me so much of Alyssa. I had the chance to exchange emails with Brandi and she told me that Kloe was also diagnosed with cancer at a very young age and experienced a relapse of the disease like Alyssa. Like many cancer patients, Kloe was bound to her inescapable disease.
On January 15, 2004, Kloe was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 4. She went through three and a half years of treatment and lost all of her hair three times. Then, at age 15, she relapsed and was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia again. She developed necrotizing pancreatitis, experienced respiratory failure, and had to be put in a medically induced coma for nearly two months. She also needed a tracheostomy to help her breathe. Then, Kloe was moved to University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, where Dr. Andres Gelrud and Dr. Jeffrey Matthew saved her life by treating her pancreas. After months of waiting, she was then transferred to Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. On January 24, 2015, Kloe was finally able to go home but still continues her low dose maintenance chemotherapy.
My words in the previous paragraph do not entirely capture what Kloe went through. My words are not even close to expressing the emotions that Kloe and her family went through. I'm humbled that Brandi shared a little bit of Kloe’s story to me. Like Alyssa, Kloe will always be a truly brave person in my eyes.
Brandi told me that Kloe wanted to play the guitar since she was little. Kloe wanted to use the guitar to “escape” and “express” herself. That’s the beauty of music. Music takes us to a place where we want to be. In the case of Kloe, music provides an escape from the routines of being a cancer patient.
We’re honored to be able to give her first acoustic guitar. Yoli, George, and other members of our organization visited her last week to give her the acoustic guitar donated by a generous couple who wish to remain anonymous. Thank you for believing in our mission to give the gift of music and art to cancer patients.
I hope the guitar makes you free as a bird, Kloe. We're looking forward to hearing you play music!
-Kevin Cervantes
Give Hope.
Alyssa was an “old soul”. People described her as someone who was wise beyond her years. She was someone who was driven by philosophy while striving to give life meaning. As I got to know her, we connected because I’m also one of these “old souls”. She too, saw the world differently and viewed things in the most poetic way. Like Walt Whitman’s poem ‘O Me! O Life!’, Alyssa wanted to contribute a verse to life’s powerful play.
When Alyssa was able to come home after her first battle against leukemia in 2010, she wanted to volunteer her time in a senior living home after being inspired by her grandpa Longino. She was still undergoing chemotherapy but her kind heart was strong enough to find a way to volunteer her time.
Alyssa volunteered at Brighton Gardens of St. Charles, a senior living home in St. Charles, Illinois. She played the piano and violin for the guests at Brighton Garden as a way to cure their troubles or enhance their happiness. Alyssa knew the benefits of music and wanted to share it with everyone.
Alyssa’s actions at Brighton Gardens reflected her favorite poem by Kalidasa. In particular, the section of the poem that stated, “For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow only a vision. But today well-lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope.” She wanted a life well-lived.
When Alyssa read this poem to me, I didn’t understand its meaning at first. Regrettably, my naivety must’ve shrugged it off. But after Alyssa passed, I re-discovered the poem in her journal. A flood of emotions came crashing down as the words jumped from the page and into my heart with the memory of Alyssa’s voice reading them to me, “…today well-lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope…”
Those words became the foundation of my drive to dedicate my time for the Alyssa Alvin Foundation for Hope. I wanted to have a meaningful “well-lived” life to honor the person who has been my greatest influence. She inspired me to do good things and to become the best person I can be. Most importantly, she taught me the importance of having a vision for the future.
As a non-profit organization, our “vision of hope” is to bring the gift of music and visual arts to young cancer patients. We want to give them the means to create music and art and share it with the world! I know that sounds poetic, and maybe even seems impossible for some, but not for us. We believe we can make the world a better place by helping others. This is our verse to life’s powerful play.
It’s a beautiful thing to have people believe in our mission. Our volunteers are the foundation of our Foundation for Hope. Without all of you, our events would not be possible. During our first benefit concert, our volunteers ensured our event was a success. They helped us with the silent auction, promotions, designing of the tickets and flyers, photography and overall organization of the event.
Big thanks to our volunteers who were instrumental to the success of our first benefit concert: Ashlee Schneider, Glen Schneider, Kellie Wilson, Kemi Duro-Emanuel, Monica Pulver, Chris Coconate, Lupe Brueck and Robbi Brueck. We look forward to seeing you at our future events!
If you’d like to help us with our mission, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Do it today and make today “well-lived”! We’re looking for volunteers to do all kinds of fun and creative things. All ideas that help our cause are welcome at the Alyssa Alvin Foundation for Hope. We’re looking for musicians, artists, poets, and anyone with a kind heart!
You can make a difference in the life of a young cancer patient. You can help us grow. You can help us spread the arts. Together, we can Give Hope.
Please click on the link below to learn more about volunteering:
www.alyssaalvinfoundationforhope.org/volunteer
Thank you.
-Kevin Cervantes
Give Hope.
“Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”
I met Nate last year when he visited Alyssa at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Nate has been a friend of the Alvin family for many years. He attended Geneva schools with Vince, Alyssa’s older brother, and was like another ‘big brother’ figure to Alyssa.
While he visited Alyssa, Nate was also going through his own battle against cancer. I had a blog post prepared for the benefit concert with pieces of quotes from Nate’s speech, but upon reading what I wrote today, I immediately decided against sharing what I wrote in order to give you Nate’s story in its purest form. Instead, I will share news about the benefit concert in the first issue of our newsletter, which will be published this Sunday.
We were so excited and happy that Nate wanted to be a guest speaker at our first benefit concert. Nate’s story is a small part of a grand narrative, which includes Alyssa’s story, Kloe’s story (our first gift recipient was unable to attend the concert and receive her gift but we’ll deliver it to her at the hospital when she’s feeling better), and the thousands of people around the world affected by cancer.
To me, sharing the stories of cancer patients is the most important thing. Nate’s continuing experience battling cancer and how music has been helping him along the way was truly inspiring to hear. I am a storyteller at heart, but nothing I say or write can paint a more perfect picture.
Here it is…Nate’s unedited speech on April 18, 2015 at our first benefit concert:
“In middle school we took psychology tests to find out what kind of learners we were. I usually turned up as an auditory one. I guess that kinda makes sense given my musical background. I assumed it meant I favored an acoustic explanation when learning something new. I never put too much stock in what a questionnaire said about me personally, but I found out it was true when faced with a real test.
When you're diagnosed with cancer, you are forced to make life-altering decisions in quick succession, without all the facts. I flew to Sloan Kettering in New York and M.D Anderson in Houston to make sure I had my game plan straight. The fastest two months of my life flew by as the medical elite proposed courses of action for the next nine to twelve months. I was lucky to find treatment close to home, and even more fortunate to share my story with you all.
The hard part comes when a plan is in action and you're sick of asking why. You've exhausted your friends, family, scripture and scientific sources and now you're left waiting by your phone for that important call you can't afford to miss. Maybe you're at work, even worse you're at home with nothing else to do. This is where music can help. This is where you need an emotional outlet.
The amount of waiting involved in a lengthy medical drama is unbearable. If you’re beholden to someone every step of the way you will be stuck watching the clock as the days and hours tick by. But there’s a chance someone in time and space has had a similar rite of passage as you. That person might have a story or song that has stood the test of time, to impact you, and give you some direction in which to march. You won’t know unless you are actively looking. See music for me is a powerful reminder that our emotions are so similar. That it doesn't matter how little our lives overlap. Your life and mine, up until now, may have few similarities. But I am confident the happiness you feel and the happiness I feel have uncanny similarities.
Music can do great things to your memories and dreams. Preserve details that a picture of you and your friends in a row may not accurately capture. Music can doctor your dreams after years have passed, allowing your to remember what angered you as a child, what embarrassed you as a teen, what made you laugh in college. All simultaneously, all too much to take in at once. The creation of music allows us then to explore and express our dreams and sorrows in a medium that people of all walks of life can tap into.
I was physically and emotionally isolated after my successful surgery and following months of chemotherapy. With my life no longer regimented by trusted advisors I was left to my own devices as far as how to reintegrate into society. Like a blank page that must be filled, this can be an exhilarating or terrifying prospective. With no one willing to offer up the “correct” solution anymore, an experimental mindset was necessary.
Music or any art form really gives so much flexibility to someone in a compromising scenario. Something that's very hard to come by for someone backed into a corner. It's something that can speak to you irrespective of how reclusive or open you are about your journey. Such a powerful tool should not be denied, shouldn't be called a tool even, it sounds reductive. Why don't we call it a respite? A break. Something again you don't get when your life is on the line. When you have medical deadlines for yourself to meet. When the limitation of your physical body overwhelms your senses, you must rely on your dreams.
You know maybe I'm biased growing up with a musical background, my mom sang a bit and I think it's growing on my dad too. The important part is that my journey to find this emotional tether to mankind was well underway before I was faced with cancer. I found my sanctuary in music. Now maybe music doesn't do it for you, that's no problem. Because there's never a bad time to start your quest in finding your emotional outlet. It doesn't matter what it is, the matter of searching it out can be enough sometimes. Maybe you don't need it, perhaps you never will. But in case you do, or a loved one does, it's your trump card.
Now if we take this appreciation for art one step forward, and talk about the creation of it, then you have a self-sustaining positive force. I know it’s vague, but it’s important to underline how essential this is to the healing process. Your friends and family will cheer you on, make no mistake. But eventually it needs to come from within you. You yourself have to believe you can do this. You have to believe you can get through the next hour, the next minute.
The act of creation is a life affirming action. And I'm not asking you to set out to create a masterpiece. I'm asking you to find a way to create something you are proud of. Even temporarily. Maybe you'll look back and it'll be a joke to you, but the important part, is that for a brief moment in your life, you appreciated yourself. You had the mindfulness to acknowledge you can do some good for yourself, when it seems nothing is going your way. For this reason, putting an instrument in the hands of a child who is suffering can be a seismic shift. Giving an adolescent a means of communication beyond verbal may be the answer they need. It doesn't' need to be the solution, simply a catalyst as this child discovers nonverbal ways to transmit emotion in a way his or her family can appreciate. That he or she can create his or her own method of pushing through the pain and embracing what lies ahead.
And for this reason I applaud the efforts of the Alyssa Alvin Foundation for Hope. Because I certainly would not have hope if were not for music.”
Thank you Nate for reinforcing our mission to give the gift of music and art to cancer patients. We’re always here for you during your journey and we really appreciate that you were there to support Alyssa and her family when they needed it the most. Thank you helping us spread a message of Hope.
Want to help? Please visit the links below.
To donate funds, musical instruments, and art supplies:
www.alyssaalvinfoundationforhope.org/donate
To volunteer:
www.alyssaalvinfoundationforhope.org/volunteer
To attend our upcoming events:
www.alyssaalvinfoundationforhope.org/events
Give Hope.
-Kevin Cervantes
