A 9-month-old Bronxville girl battling leukemia will get some extra help when Duo Tapas Bar & Lounge hosts a fundraiser dinner to help pay her medical bills at 7 p.m. Aug. 4 at 748 Yonkers Ave.
Valentina Santiago, the firstborn daughter of Duo Tapas chef David Santiago and his wife, Patricia, was diagnosed with the disease the first week of June. Her parents had to make special arrangements to continue working while they took turns staying with her as she underwent chemotherapy in Valhalla.
“Financially both parents need their salaries,” said Duo Tapas owner Ian Selner, who is helping organize the fundraiser. “Emotionally this has been extremely difficult for both David and Patricia.”
Tickets for the fundraiser are $20 in advance, $25 at door. The event will feature a buffet dinner and live music.
Leukemia is a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. It develops when blood cells produced in the bone marrow grow out of control. An estimated 44,600 new cases of leukemia are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2011.
Valentina Santiago. Family photo.
