Young Ambassadors Inspire at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital Fundraiser

As seen in the November/December 2019 Issue of Advancing Care

Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), celebrated the strength and fortitude of its pediatric patients at the 15th annual Walk and Family Fun Day in September.

The event, which includes a casual, one-mile walk and a host of family activities, draws thousands of supporters to the Westchester Medical Center campus each year and is the children’s hospital’s largest annual fundraiser.

Three pediatric patients served as ambassadors for the event: Asher Levy-Dahl, 8, Giovanni “Gio” Toribio, 7 and Yashwini Bobde, 4. Asher, Gio and Yashwini represented the more than 30,000 seriously ill and injured children cared for by Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital each year.

Asher was born with heterotaxy syndrome, a rare disorder that results in organs forming on the opposite side of the body; he also developed hydrocephalus, a condition that leads to buildup of fluid in the brain.
In addition to being diagnosed with lymphoma at age 4, which is now in remission, Gio was also diagnosed with a rare bone disease called McCune-Albright syndrome.

Born at 26 weeks and weighing less than 2 lbs, Yashwini spent four months in the Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (RNICU), battling complications with her heart and lungs.

Today, all three ambassadors are strong, healthy children.

Photo above: Ambassadors Asher Levy-Dahl (left, next to sister Quinn Levy-Dahl), Yashwini Bobde and Gio Toribio lead over 1,000 participants in the Go the Distance Walk and Family Fun Day supporting Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.