Philanthropy
One Step Ahead
As the National Spokesperson for the One Step Ahead Foundation Aviva helps other amputees cope with losing a limb. At six years-old, Aviva herself was in a tragic accident and as a result her left leg was amputated. She has never let this tragedy define who she is and has made it her life’s mission to counsel others with the same obstacles.
The One Step Ahead Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to giving children with limb loss positive experiences to build confidence, courage, and friendship, increase self-esteem, and create a better sense of self-worth all while giving them a positive experience they will use throughout the rest of their lives. The organization also focuses on helping children get prosthetic limbs who could not otherwise afford them.
Cancer Schmancer Movement
Aviva is very passionate about helping to fight cancer and as an active philanthropist she takes her role as spokesperson for cousin Fran Drescher’s Cancer Schmancer Movement seriously. So let us tell you about Cancer Schmancer . . .
We’ve all been affected by it in some way, whether it’s ourselves, our families or our friends. This year, cancer will be the leading killer in the world. In the U.S. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. But there is hope… Did you know when cancer is found early, 90% survive? Every woman, regardless of age, race or socioeconomic background deserves to have the opportunity of survival.
We are fighting cancer a different way: catching it early. By shifting this nation’s focus from just searching for a cure to education, prevention and early detection, we can save lives today. By empowering ourselves and the women we love to become medical consumers; to listen to our bodies, ask the right questions of our doctors and seek second opinions, we can prevent cancer and, if we still end up with it, detect cancer in its earliest stages. At Cancer Schmancer, we aren’t reinventing the wheel. We are shedding light on a method that works to end mortality due to late stage diagnosis. And that’s early detection. Join us in saving lives.
Trash Cancer
Aviva Drescher takes a no-nonsense approach when it comes to what her family eats and what cleaning supplies they use. When she first learned of her cousin Fran Drescher’s mission to Trash Cancer, by educating the public on carcinogens & toxic chemicals in consumer products, she knew she could help inspire people to become smart shoppers. Trash Cancer empowers individuals to advocate for safer chemical use.
One American will die from cancer every minute this year. And only 5-10% of all cancers are hereditary. So why are so many people getting cancer?
According to the President’s Cancer Panel, “With nearly 80,000 chemicals on the market in the U.S., many of which are used by millions of Americans in their daily lives and are un-or understudied and largely unregulated, exposure to potential environmental carcinogens is widespread.”
So widespread they are in our personal care products, our cleaning supplies, and even our plastics. No wonder American babies are born pre-polluted with nearly 300 chemicals found in umbilical cord blood! Chemicals like BPA, flame retardants, lead, and PCBs that are linked to not only cancer, but autism, obesity, ADHD, diabetes, infertility and heart disease.
Live4Life
Aviva Drescher is on the Advisory Committee and has been on the Fundraising Committee of her close friend Melissa Breitbart-Sohn’s Live4Life Foundation, a charity that is dear to her. When Melissa was just 31 she felt a lump on the side of her neck. What was suspected to be a head and neck cancer turned out to be stage III melanoma, which had spread to the lymph nodes in her neck.
This diagnosis inspired her to create Live4Life, a foundation established to “increase awareness of the disease and inspire those who face its devastation to keep fighting. The Foundation has allowed physician-scientists at Memorial Sloan-Kettering cancer to make tremendous progress in understanding the mechanisms of melanoma, and in developing new and improved strategies for its prevention and treatment. In addition the Foundation sponsors efforts to raise funds for melanoma research and to increase awareness of just how deadly this disease can be. The NYU Cancer Institute and The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology now stand to benefit as well. Live4Life has pledged funds to support a fellowship in translational research related to melanoma.
© 2013 Aviva Drescher Productions