CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — Marking brain tumor awareness month, home furnishings and accessories manufacturer Surya has offered to match every donation made to the Yuvaan Tiwari Foundation in the month of May.
Last year, Satya and Parvati Tiwari, principals of Surya, lost their 3-year-old son Yuvaan (Yuvi) to an aggressive and fatal brain tumor called diffuse midline glioma. DMG, with median overall survival of only eight to 11 months from the time of diagnosis, strikes 200 to 400 children in the United States each year.
Last year, the Tiwari family created the Yuvaan Tiwari Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to fund research to find a cure for DMG and other fatal pediatric brain cancers, while supporting patients and families along their journey.
“There is no cure for DMG, and the protocols for treatment have remained unchanged for the past 60 years,” said Satya Tiwari, president of Surya. “Parents like us who receive a devastating brain tumor diagnosis are left with little beyond hope, prayers and limited experimental treatment options with harsh side effects. We created the Yuvaan Tiwari Foundation to enable a brighter future for kids with brain cancer.”
Brain tumors are the leading cause of death by disease for children in the United States. Less than 4% of federal funding is directed at pediatric cancer research, with a small fraction of those funds used for brain tumor research.
“Funding from family foundations like ours is critical to move towards a cure,” said Surya CMO Parvati Tiwari. “We have personally endured the pain, hopelessness and devastation that follow a brain cancer diagnosis. We want to change the course of that journey for other families. Yuvi always saw the bright side of life, and we hope his legacy will continue to shine a light for others.”
Donations to the Yuvaan Tiwari Foundation’s ‘Go Gray in May’ campaign to raise $100K can be made online. Fundraisers for the Yuvaan Tiwari Foundation also can be created at the foundation’s Facebook page.
