Hoops for Hope 3v3 Basketball Tournament

In February 2005, we started noticing that Christiana was getting weaker. Even minor activities like hanging a towel on the rack after a shower became difficult for her. That summer, the doctors diagnosed Christiana with Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDMS), an autoimmune disease that breaks down the blood cells within all muscle system in the body. Christiana's body didn't respond to the steroids and medication from the doctors, and she was hospitalized in September 2005 in Palo Alto, California. Christiana's little body fought as hard as it could, but the disease had unexpected complications throughout her three months in the hospital. We prayed for the miracle of healing, but God decided to heal her in Heaven. On Wednesday, December 14th 2005, Christiana passed away. We are looking for ways to keep Christiana's name alive in everyone's mind.

With that said, I'd like to present to you the 1st Annual Hoops for Hope: East Coast Edition! The 3v3 tournament will be held on July 28th 2018 at Baruch College. There will be different divisions starting from age 16 through adults. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Also Touch Foundation, a non-profit fund in memory of Christiana that will then benefit other organizations, such as CureJM, focused on finding a cure for Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDMS) and Juvenile Polymyositis (JPM), the rare and life-threatening autoimmune diseases collectively known as Juvenile Myositis. Approximately 2 to 4 children in a million in the United States are diagnosed with JM each year.

At the tournament, there will be a silent auction during the tournament, as well as other options for fundraising funds for Also Touch.

It has been over 12 years since Christiana left us to her permanent home in Heaven and it seems like it was just yesterday. We spent over a decade of bike riding in memory of Christiana with the California Coast Classic, and it helped our family heal and turn our tragedy into something good for other children and families battling autoimmune diseases. Team Also Touch raised over $500,000 for the Arthritis Foundation and it has been an incredible experience. We couldn’t have done it without you!

We have decided to refocus our commitment on the fight against autoimmune diseases by doing hands-on work with children and families. We are in the process of determining exactly what that will entail, and we will update the site as soon as we decide.

Alongside our hands-on commitment, we are launching the Also Touch Foundation in Memory of Christiana. Also Touch is a fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF). Donations will be processed by SVCF, a 501(c)(3) public charity registered in the United States, EIN# 20-5205488. Contributions will be tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. SVCF will provide a formal acknowledgment letter containing tax-deduction language for your records.

We will donate everything from the fund to organizations that conduct research on the medical issues that Christiana had, as well as causes she cared about.