One April morning in 2007, Gino and Victoria Ayala started their day celebrating their first wedding anniversary, a celebration abruptly short-lived after they received a devastating phone call that afternoon. The couple was told that their daughter, 15-month-old Josephine, was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor and life expectancy was less than a year.
“We could not accept having her for a limited time, knowing that our endless faith and hope would help Josephine beat this disease,” undeniably states Gino. The initial surgery resulted with partial removal of the tumor and followed with chemotherapy. In the months after that April phone call, the Ayala’s medical concerns were addressed by Cooks Children’s Medical Center; however, there were no outlets or support groups in helping with the emotional and financial burdens that weigh heavily on these families. In 2010, Gino and Victoria were determined not to sit by the sidelines and decided to promote a car show to bring awareness to pediatric brain tumor research at the Ft. Worth hospital.
On April 12 this year, the Ayala family presented their 6th annual Dreaming the Cure Car Show with host clubs GoodTimes (DFW) and Rollerz Only (Ft. Worth). Over 200 cars packed the TMP Train Station in downtown Ft. Worth. Along with entries from Albuquerque and OKC, making the long drive from South Texas was Bobby Garza. Bobby came to support the cause, in showcasing his 2014 LRM Car of the Year “RM Series.”
“The exhibitors come to win,” mentions Ayala, “as each winner does not gets a trophy or plaque, but drawings and artwork created by the diagnosed children at this pediatric cancer center,” — truly priceless. As for the diagnosed children, this is their day — a day focused on each child and knowing that everyone is there to support their fight. The event also acknowledges those children that lost the battle during the past year, and emphasizing that funding is imperative in helping save more children’s lives from this disease. The proceeds from this year’s show reached $10,500, and to date Dreaming The Cure has donated over $35,000 to Cook’s Children PBT Research Center in helping find a cure.
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