BY A STAFF REPORTER
TARZANA, CA - The second Cure Sonia Fundraiser was held here March 2 and successfully raised over $50,000 in the fight against leukemia. Cure Sonia organization was established in 2012 in honor of Sonia Rai, who lost her battle with the disease in March of the same year. Sonia’s family consists of father Ajit Rai,
TARZANA, CA - The second Cure Sonia Fundraiser was held here March 2 and successfully raised over $50,000 in the fight against leukemia. Cure Sonia organization was established in 2012 in honor of Sonia Rai, who lost her battle with the disease in March of the same year. Sonia’s family consists of father Ajit Rai,
mother Nilu Rai, and brother Sumit Rai who also serves as President for the organization. The fundraiser was planned as a social event that included entertainment and an assortment of food and drinks. The emcee for the evening was Sonia’s father Ajit Rai who wrote a heartfelt shayari for his beloved daughter that resonated emotionally with everyone in the room. Sonia’s mother, also spoke explaining the goals of the organization. As Treasurer & Director of Cure Sonia, she elaborated on the three main objectives of Cure Sonia, the first of which being to fund and support research to ultimately find a cure for the devastating disease. The low survival rates for acute leukemia are partly due to the aggressive rigor of treatments related to the disease. Therefore, it is imperative to search for better treatment methods.
The second objective Nilu stated is to help financially challenged patients with incidental expenses such copayments, medications and procedures not covered by insurance, relocating to a treatment center, and local housing. Cure Sonia is currently working on a program that could grant patients government-subsidized treatments worth over $100,000 by moving them to state of the art facilities. The third objective is to continue hosting drives to add more potential donors to the National Bone Marrow Registry, especially South Asians who are underrepresented according to recent numbers.
Over the past few months, Cure Sonia has solicited and reviewed proposals from five major research efforts. The Board of Directors felt the most promising proposal came from Dr. Preet M. Chaudhary of the University of Southern California, whom they invited to speak at the fundraiser. Dr. Chaudhary, Chief of Jane Anne Nohl Division of Hematology, highlighted the new Allogenic Cellular Therapy (ACT) research currently being conducted at USC which is far superior to the current treatments available to patients today. A big benefit of the new treatment being developed includes lower doses of chemotherapy.
Peppered into the encouraging news of future therapies, the event would not be complete without a little entertainment. Talented singers such as Subhash Dixit, Kumud Amar, Bhavna Chawla, Sunil Khanna, and Nauzad Sadry wowed the over 250 guests in attendance with various renditions of hits from old to new. At the culmination of the fundraiser, Ajit Rai announced that Cure Sonia has given $25,000 for the on going research related to alternative cures under the guidance of Dr. Chaudhary, who the organization feels could change the treatment paradigm for leukemia.
The second objective Nilu stated is to help financially challenged patients with incidental expenses such copayments, medications and procedures not covered by insurance, relocating to a treatment center, and local housing. Cure Sonia is currently working on a program that could grant patients government-subsidized treatments worth over $100,000 by moving them to state of the art facilities. The third objective is to continue hosting drives to add more potential donors to the National Bone Marrow Registry, especially South Asians who are underrepresented according to recent numbers.
Over the past few months, Cure Sonia has solicited and reviewed proposals from five major research efforts. The Board of Directors felt the most promising proposal came from Dr. Preet M. Chaudhary of the University of Southern California, whom they invited to speak at the fundraiser. Dr. Chaudhary, Chief of Jane Anne Nohl Division of Hematology, highlighted the new Allogenic Cellular Therapy (ACT) research currently being conducted at USC which is far superior to the current treatments available to patients today. A big benefit of the new treatment being developed includes lower doses of chemotherapy.
Peppered into the encouraging news of future therapies, the event would not be complete without a little entertainment. Talented singers such as Subhash Dixit, Kumud Amar, Bhavna Chawla, Sunil Khanna, and Nauzad Sadry wowed the over 250 guests in attendance with various renditions of hits from old to new. At the culmination of the fundraiser, Ajit Rai announced that Cure Sonia has given $25,000 for the on going research related to alternative cures under the guidance of Dr. Chaudhary, who the organization feels could change the treatment paradigm for leukemia.
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