I am participating in Haymakers for Hope to honor the many men and women in my life who have either lost their life to cancer, are currently fighting cancer or are cancer survivors. You can read my original H4H story here on my blog: http://www.bostonfoodandwhine.com/2016/03/09/haymakers-for-hope-boston-2016/

After much consideration, I decided that the money I raise is going toward The Pediatric Glioma Program at DFCI. I selected this program for two reasons. One, because a dear friend has a 6th grade son who has a glioma where his optic nerves cross, which has caused him to lose most of his site. Thankfully, it is benign; but it may continue to get worse overtime and cause more damage. Something no parent would ever wish upon his or her child.

Second, a few weeks after I was selected to fight, I heard about a little boy named Logan Kinkin. His Aunt Michelle graduated high school with my sister. After I learned about Logan, I knew immediately that I would fight for HIM. I am heartbroken for his family. I want to do anything I can to prevent any other parent or child from having to go through what this family has had to endure.

I learned on Sunday, 3/20/16, that Logan, a brave and sweet child, whose story affected me in ways I cannot communicate, passed away at the tender age of 4, only two months after his initial diagnosis. I am distraught and cannot comprehend what this family must be going through. Please keep them in your thoughts and hearts.

This disease makes me so angry! No child or parent deserves to suffer like this. I will most definitely fight hard in his honor and memory. His mother, Kriszti Kinkin, is an amazing mother and my heart and soul are literally aching for her... Her strength, love, compassion and dedication throughout this horrific event are unimaginable and awe inspiring. A mother's love never dies, so I am ‪#‎FightingForLogan‬

I have shed many tears for the Kinkin family and it is because of their courage and openness to share their story that I decided to focus my efforts on funding research for this terrible disease. Logan had DIPG, a rare and fatal form of glioma. If I can, I plan to have my funds allocated directly to this type of glioma, in memory of Logan.

If you chose not to fund my fight, please consider a donation to this family to help ease the expense of medical bills as they journey through this torturous process: https://www.gofundme.com/9euybey4/donate

Thank you!!!