BY SHANNON MCLAUGHLIN
OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
NORTHVALE, N.J. —— Seven-year-old Vivienne Knopp, a Northvale resident who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 5.
The announcement was shared on a GoFundMe page set up for Vivienne and her family.
Vivienne was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) in the spring. DIPG is an aggressive form of brain cancer, and is extremely difficult to treat due to its location on the brainstem. The tumor occurs almost exclusively in children.
After the diagnosis, support quickly rallied behind the Knopp family. Local mayors, sports teams, dignitaries and residents recorded an outpouring of encouraging messages for Vivienne. The messages were shared on the “Voices for Vivienne” and “Fight for Vivienne” Facebook pages as a show of support.
Vivienne’s story soon spread far beyond the Northern Valley, and the 7-year-old also received messages from professional athletes, film and television stars, Broadway actors and news anchors.
One video shows brother and sister actors Rico and Raini Rodriguez. Rico stars as Manny in “Modern Family,” and Raini was on Disney Channel’s “Austin & Ally.”
“Hey Viv, it’s Raini and Rico, and we’re wishing you lots of warm wishes. We love you so much, keep fighting, stay strong,” they said.
Aside from messages of support, the community rallied behind the Knopp family to assist with Vivienne’s medical expenses. A GoFundMe page started by Northvale resident Thomas Panarese has raised over $130,000, and local businesses and organizations created fundraisers to assist the family. “Northvale’s Got Talent,” held on Nov. 17, benefitted the Vivienne Knopp Irrevocable Trust. Northvale’s D’Ercole Donuts created a special pink and purple purple sprinkled “Vivienne” donut, and 100 percent of its sales went to the trust.
“John and Giulia [Vivienne’s parents] are beyond grateful for the outpouring of support you have given them and especially Vivienne over the last eight months,” wrote Panarese on GoFundMe, when informing the community of her passing. “The various fundraisers and money raised through the GoFundMe campaign gave the Northvale community hope that Vivienne could beat her DIPG while allowing her to stay in our lives a little longer.”
Panarese wrote, “Personally, it is absolutely devastating to see such an amazing little girl succumb to such a rare and aggressive form of cancer. The Northvale community will miss Vivienne’s bright smile, amazing personality and energy, but we now have an incredible guardian watching over and protecting us.”
Photo courtesy Facebook/Fight for Vivienne