MIB Agents Family Funds™
#BecauseOf

Aiden was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in his left tibia in February of 2021. Less than a week later he started over 9 months of intensive chemotherapy following the standard MAP protocol, as well as endured 5 different surgeries, including Limb Salvage Surgery in May of 2021.

Alex Etheridge was born to rock on October 22, 2009. He battled osteosarcoma for 18 long months, all the while, continuing to make music as both bass guitarist and sensational drummer! His family is dedicated to remembering Alex’ and his passion for music through programs for fellow osteo warriors.

Our sweet little Allisen was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at the age of 12. She was in 7th grade and just starting out on her school’s dance team. Her life changed very quickly.

Andrew was an active 12 year old boy when he was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in November 2017. The cancer diagnosis completely stunned, then devastated us.

Annaleigh passion for musical theater, singing and guitar were all brought to a halt when she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at 16 years old. Although the diagnosis was overwhelming, Annaleigh had a strong sense that she would be ok.

Arnav was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in his senior year of high school. Osteosarcoma is an aggressive bone cancer that occurs when a bone-forming cell starts growing out of control, making a cancerous tumor in the bone. Once the cancer spreads to any part of the body, the 5 year survival rate is only 25%. About 500 children and teens in the US get it every year.

Anyone who knows Ava knows that backflips and front handsprings fill her heart and soul. From an early age, she would tumble around our house, walking on her hands until her face turned purple, only to come upright until she could go upside down again. She couldn’t sit still, taking every opportunity to tumble and twirl. Gymnastics was everything to her. It was in her DNA.

Avery was a bright light to everyone that met her. She loved big and was wise beyond her years. She was a good friend, always smiling and sharing kindness. She loved her family and friends, school, basketball, volleyball and loved to travel. Our lives were better with her in it, and we were blessed to have her for 12 years.

Brandon was a fun, basketball loving 15 year old. His entire life he played a sport of some kind, but his true love was basketball. He played year round, whether it be for the school or a rec league. Less than 2 months before his 16th birthday we received the devastating news that he had osteosarcoma in his right femur, would need the tumor removed,and would never be able to play basketball again; His life was shattered that day, but this kid was a true fighter, after chemo, surgery, more chemo and other surgeries, he was in remission.

Brenton bravely battled osteosarcoma with a smile on his face for just shy of two years. He spread love and happiness to all who had the privilege to know him and his greatest wish was to be able to prevent others from having to experience the pain and suffering he endured.

Briana was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in October 2017 when she was only 7 years old. For the next 10 and a half months Briana spent almost every week in the hospital receiving chemotherapy treatment.

Brooke had a natural warmth and a way of lighting up any room she was in. Brooke lived her life fully, joyfully, and with love and concern for others. She loved her work, her book club and the outdoors; she relished cycling, swimming, hiking, and discovering the world. Vibrant and inspiring, she was a force for good. Her many achievements, hopes, and aspirations -- as well as her love, humor, and infectious smile -- brought her family and friends tremendous joy. She led them to remarkable places and remarkable people; she enriched their lives.

Brooklynn was a fun loving 12 year old that loved life. She enjoyed spending time with her friends and family, Bible Quizzing, painting, making bracelets, and pretty much any other craft activity. She loved Stitch, axolotls, and gnomes. She enjoyed giving gifts as much as she loved receiving them, if not more. She was looking forward to running in track and cross country her seventh grade year. 

Buddy is the most strong, resilient, sweet and empathetic young boy who we are proud to call our son. He has been bravely battling Osteosarcoma since he was just 5 years old which now at the age of 10 means he's been fighting for his survival for half his lifetime.

The Cameron Bottelberghe Osteosarcoma Research Fund’s intention is to raise MUCH needed funds for osteosarcoma research. Our intention with The Cameron Bottelberghe Fund is to help one day give osteosarcoma patients NEW drugs.

Carson was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in January of 2018. Carson tried different treatments to cure this awful disease, but unfortunately they did not work. He passed away on March 2, 2020. Even though a cure could not be found for him, he would want us to keep fighting. No one should ever experience this terrible disease. Although Carson had cancer, that didn’t define who he truly was.

Charlotte was a senior in high school when she became an OsteoAngel. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her right femur in July 2018. Char was athletic, funny, stubborn, creative, full of grit and a sweet friend to all. Her smile lit up any room.

Cheyenne DeVelasco passed from this life on Sunday, August 20th, 2017. She will surely rest peacefully knowing she was loved deeply, she loved greatly and gave of herself wholeheartedly until the very end of her life.

In June of 2016 Chris went to the doctor for leg pain. An x-ray showed a tumor in his right femur. A week later, the biopsy confirmed the tumor was osteosarcoma.

Christien Mikhail Quiles was an incredible young man who was filled with love and a passion for life and people. Simply put he was an absolute joy to be around, motivating everyone he came in contact with.

Clayton was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in December 2013. He suffered greatly from this disease and passed away in August 2016 after exhausting all treatment options.

Daniel was an avid tennis player when he was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in his left femur in July 2020 at the age of 13. Like all families that have gone through it, our world was turned upside down, and we had to make difficult decisions quickly around treatment and surgical options.

Dylan demonstrated incredible strength, courage, and optimism. He never stopped fighting and never gave up hope. He lived by his credo “I will always be strong enough to pick myself up no matter what,” and inspired others with his resilience, joyful spark, and grace.

Edward Richard Novinski was born on April 28, 1987 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was a generous, kind hearted, adventurous man who believed in living life to its fullest, making every day count.

Eli was born in 2000 and grew up in the Portland, OR area. He was a joyful and spontaneous kid who was a bright light in the lives of so many –especially his mother Lea, his father Ben, his siblings Ali and Ryan, and his amazing group of friends. For someone so young, Eli was remarkably selfless, caring, insightful and considerate. He was truly the best kind of person.

Elijah was voted class clown in 8th grade. He loved school. He loved making his friends laugh, even if it got him into trouble sometimes. Elijah never wanted his osteosarcoma to define him.

Ella Bee was a unique soul. Everyone who knew her described her as ’sweet’ and that is who she was at her core…but she was so much more. She was filled with love, hilariously witty, compassionate, insightful, determined (and maybe a lot stubborn), selfless beyond reason, creative, artistic, and the most loyal friend to those she loved.

Gavin remained positive, fierce, kind, and never missed an opportunity to make people laugh - he truly was a gift on this earth for 19 years.

Ian was an energetic, soccer-loving 12-year-old boy in November of 2019 when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the left tibia with metastatic disease. Before he even finished the 10 weeks of initial chemotherapy, repeat studies showed that his cancer was not responding to the standard treatment, which has not changed in over 30 years.

Isaac was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in October 2021, the same week he turned 12 years old. He gained his angel wings to be with God as he was just about to turn 15 years old. The news of bone cancer was sudden and devastating for all of us, and this battle over the past 3 years has been tough.

Jaden was born on July 18, 2013, with a natural inclination to bring joy, creativity, and strength to those around him. At the age of 7, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his right proximal humerus after experiencing persistent pain. Despite the shock, Jaden began MAP treatment on May 10, 2021, and underwent a complex surgery to replace his affected humerus with his fibula.

On May 29, 2018, after being NED for three months, Jayden relapsed with nodules in his left lung. He again began treatment to beat cancer… He completed 4 more cycles of chemo, however, this time Jayden never went into remission.

Jorge lived for and loved his dear and beautiful family, Star Wars, Disneyland and MIB Agents. His life of kindness and service to his family, while he was suffering, was noble and extraordinary.

Keely was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in her proximal left tibia in early August 2018. She began chemo (MAP) almost immediately. Given only one choice for surgery (limb-salvage) by Rady Children’s, we traveled to UC Davis for a rotationplasty with Dr. Lor Randall.

Despite battling osteosarcoma with incredible courage, Krysty's journey has taken a difficult turn. Previous treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation, and lung surgeries, have not halted the progression of her disease.

After complaining of leg pain, Kyle was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at the age of 15 in January of 2017. Our family was terrified, but we were hopeful.

Leah was the best listener and held so much love for the important people in her life and her cat. She had a contagious laugh that spread to anyone in her presence. Leah loved life and never wanted to give it up. She should be alive today, and now we are left only hoping that we can prevent others from losing this same fight.

Marisa knew cancer was always going to be an aspect of her life but was adamant it was not going to define her. She was going to be known first & foremost for other things.

The Matthew Lehrman Osteosarcoma Research Fund began when Matthew contacted MIB Agents and asked how he could Make It Better (MIB) for osteosarcoma for patients. He believed that we needed more research for osteosarcoma, so we set up a donation page for his friends and family who wanted to help.

Our precious daughter, Megan, was an athlete who had just finished playing in the high school volleyball championship game in mid-November of 2014. Just before Christmas, she began having pain in her knee.

To say that Mia was the happiest little girl in the world is an understatement. She cherished every single minute with her family.

Michael Heras passed from this life on May 25, 2018. He will always be remembered with love and admiration for his incredible courage and fortitude in battling osteosarcoma.

Noblesse oblige is a French phrase literally meaning “nobility obligates”. It denotes the concept that nobility extends beyond mere entitlements and requires the person who holds such status to fulfill social responsibilities, particularly in leadership roles.

My daughter Natalie Villanueva, the journey began in November of 2019, at 18 years old. She was a senior in high school and a rugby player.She started getting pain in her left leg, we thought it was from rugby, so we didn’t think anything of it. But she kept complaining about the pain until finally we took her to get an x-ray, which they didn’t see anything. So we kept going with our days, but the pain kept getting worse. So I finally took her back a couple of weeks later and told them that I wanted them to do an MRI. The hospital called us back and said they needed to see us right away the next day. I felt something was wrong. So when they told us it was cancer, we couldn’t believe it.

Nicholas Melomo was a beloved and respected member of the MIB Junior Advisory Board. He was an extremely talented artist & poet who was always happy to share his works when called upon. Nicholas liked to make life better for others. He was always helping MIB to Make It Better, even sending us money that his relatives shared with him to celebrate his life and achievements.

From Nicholas’ Mother: My son, Nicholas, was your typical active teenager, and had a passion for riding ATV’s. So when he came home from a weekend of riding and complained of pain in his shin, we assumed he had hurt himself having way too much fun.

Ryan was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his hip joint on Sept 2014 at 17 years old in his Senior Year of High School. He completed treatment in July 2015 and relapsed in January 2016 to his lung with surgery to remove the nodule in April 2016. He has amazingly and gratefully been NED since then.

Ryan was diagnosed with metastatic osteosarcoma at the age of 15 and put on a brave face from the first moment. He remained positive and smiling throughout treatment, his wonderful personality shining through every moment.

In his famous work Zakhor (“Remember”), Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi writes that Jewish memory is a fusion of past and present. Memory is not just a mere recollection of the past that preserves a sense of distance, but it is a re-actualization, a means to act in the present. The Seth Abraham Bombet Osteosarcoma Research Fund has been created as a way to both remember what an exceptional human being Seth was, as well as a way to act on his behalf and in his memory after his passing.

This strong, amazing person has always seemed larger than life. Then, in December 2016, Sloane was diagnosed with osteosarcoma bone cancer in her right femur, after years of being incorrectly treated for leg pain. She had just turned 12 years old. We were devastated.

Sydney’s attitude toward her disease and persistence through seemingly endless treatments, appointments etc. was an inspiration … but the system is not working and we need to do much better. Too many of our amazing, resilient and irreplaceable kids are dying.

Taily was sweet, kind, funny and forgiving, but what stands out is how feisty, courageous, strong-willed and persistent she was. She was the one person to challenge you each day and that was just her unique personality. She is the strongest person that I have ever known.

“If it can save me, that would be great and hopefully it can help another kid.”

Tyler had a light so bright, everyone, no matter the age, saw it immediately after they met him.

Victor was a very happy, healthy, and active 8-year-old in April 2017 when he started having pain in his left shoulder after playing outdoors. We took him to his pediatrician and his x-ray showed nothing, we were told he was fine and to take ibuprofen for inflammation and pain.

Victoria was 13 years old, a competitive swimmer and in 7th grade when she complained of ankle pain early in December 2014. Our family was not prepared to hear the words “your daughter has cancer” just a few days later.

Zach was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in January, 2021. At the time of his diagnosis, he already had metastases in his lungs. His left leg was amputated above the knee in April, 2021, to cut out the primary tumor. He didn’t respond well to chemotherapy, and because, as of this writing, Osteosarcoma hasn’t had any new treatments in 40 years, there weren’t any viable options to save his life.