The Bravin’s were hoping Valentina would be accepted to a trial at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center by Jan. 10, but according to Cristina the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) didn’t do them any favors.

“We were waiting for the FDA to approve this trial for several months,” Cristina said. “They finally approved it on Dec. 29 which didn’t leave much time for that cutoff date.” She said that Valentina missed the Jan. 10 cutoff by a few days because patients could not be admitted to the trial after 14 weeks since their last radiation treatment.

“It’s a life or death situation, but the FDA couldn’t care less,” she said.

After Valentina’s diagnosis, Cristina resigned from her job at Winthrop University Hospital and temporarily moved to Texas while her daughter underwent radiation treatment. Erik works in sales and has also taken a lot of time off in recent months.

Valentina, who likes ballet, ice skating and playing with Barbie dolls, will undergo an MRI on January 12 to check the status of her tumor. If the tumor is stable or has regressed, Cristina said Valentina may be considered for a new trial at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD.

Valentina’s grandfather started a foundation, Friends of Valentina, after the diagnosis. Cristina said the foundation is a medical trust fund to help cover expenses and to give Valentina special celebrations when she feels up to it.

If you would like to donate to or find out more information about Friends of Valentina, you can contact Gina at (516)384-9739 or Frank at (516)509-7862 or beans14orosz@netscape.net.