BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
NORTHVALE, N.J. — At least eight Bergen County mayors and numerous residents have offered words of encouragement and donated funds for a 7-year-old Northvale girl suffering from a rare childhood cancer in an online awareness campaign initiated by the borough’s mayor.
[slideshow_deploy id=’899′]
Northvale Mayor Ed Piehler began an online effort in August called “Voices for Vivienne” to assist the family by creating a Facebook page and linking to a GoFundMe page for Vivienne Knopp.
“I am asking people for their support for a 7-year-old Northvale resident, Vivienne Knopp, who is suffering from a very rare, very aggressive and inoperable form of childhood cancer,” said Piehler via email.
“Vivienne has been undergoing treatment for several months in an attempt to save her life. The treatment is very expensive and does not cover all of the associated costs. The family is in urgent need of support to help Vivienne continue her treatment,” Piehler wrote.
Knopp has a rare form of childhood leukemia known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). She is currently being treated at a Houston hospital, according to a GoFundMe page created by resident Thomas Panarese in April.
As of Oct. 2, the GoFundMe page had received $123,122 of online donations, with a goal of $300,000. The page indicates the amount was “raised by 1,229 people in five months.”
According to Panarese’s site, Vivienne fell ill over Easter weekend, and was diagnosed with DIPG, a brain tumor found in an area of the brain responsible for controlling bodily functions and which almost exclusively occurs in children aged 4-11.
In a May 9 update, Panarese wrote: “As a Northvale community member and family friend to the Knopps, I am asking for your support in fighting for Vivienne on behalf of her amazing family.”
He later adds: “Your support is extremely urgent as Vivienne tries to fight through this. Any amount you can donate is not too little to help her beat this diagnosis.”
By early October, mayors posting inspirational and supportive videos on Facebook included John Birkner, Westwood; Mike Ghassali, Montvale; Paul Tomasko; Alpine; John Smart, Haworth; and John Glidden, Closter.
Also posting messages of support were Bergen County Executive James Tedesco; Northern Valley-Old Tappan cheerleaders; Brad Wing, NY Giants punter; Russell Wilson and Tanner McEvoy, Seattle Seahawks; and Brenna D’Amico from Disney’s Descendents.
“Through efforts like the ice bucket challenge we have seen the incredible grassroots impact we can make through Facebook,” said Piehler on Facebook.
The mayor urges residents and supporters to “make a short video of support for Vivienne, post it to your own page, and tag it with Voices for Vivienne Facebook page.”
Individuals can donate to Vivienne’s GoFundMe page here.