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briefs
briefs
rudy cole
Weekly
Beverly Hills
SERVING BEVERLY HILLS BEVERLYWOOD LOS ANGELES
coverstory
Sunday, Dec. 14 where they raised close to an additional $5,000. The book sells for $20, but Lora Moradi Pournazarian, a Hawthorne and Beverly High graduate, said that many people have donated more than that. It was basically a book signing, and I laugh because its just so cute that a sixyear-old had a book signing, said Rabin Pournazarian, Jonahs father. About 200 people attended the event where both Dylan and Jonah signed books and answered questions. The event included a performance by the Stephen S. Wise Temple School choir and Dylan read his book. Jonah was diagnosed with the disease when he was about six months old. GSD 1b is a liver disease, where the liver is missing an enzyme, so Jonah must eat every three hours so his blood sugar does not fall. He is also missing neutrophils in his white blood count, so he does not have the ability to fight off infections. He wears a gastrointestinal tube through which he eats most of his meals and is on
It was basically a book signing, and I laugh because its just so cute that a six-year-old had a book signing. -- Rabin Pournazarian
a restrictive diet where he cannot eat sugar, fruit or dairy products. When Jonah was diagnosed here, the doctor said, Your son is never going be normal, he is never going to play soccer, hes never going to be like his twin brother [Eli], hes never going to be able to go to birthday parties, said Lora. She called David Weinstein, a physician in Gainesville, Fl., who reassured her Jonah was going to be normal. The Pournazarians created a fund for Jonah about six years ago and every year they fundraise to find a cure for GSD 1b. The money is sent to the University of Florida, and Weinstein uses the funds to conduct research. She said her son just completed an AYSO soccer season and is going to play in the Beverly Hills Basketball league. Our fundraising is usually limited to sending an email to friends and family and raising money and this year, we just had this amazing idea of this book, said Rabin. Rabin said 100 percent of the proceeds go to Florida. I pay for these books out of pocket, the chocolate bars are donated, the wrappers are donated, the t-shirts we were wearing [Sunday] that were really beautiful were donated and its really a grassroots effort to raise the million dollars and I really try hard to cover expenses myself, and obviously David helps as well because we want literally every dime to go to Florida, said Rabin. Dylans goal is to raise $1 million for Jonahs fund, but as his father, David said: why stop there? We want to find a cure, were close enough to know that we could and after our cure is found because its the liver, the doctor believes it will help with a whole lot of other liver diseases, said Lora. Debra said she and her husband David were so passionate about the project not only because it would help Jonah, but because it would also empower children. Its letting other kids know that they have power and their ideas mean something and can do something big. We also want kids to know what theyre capable of, said Debra. In addition to hosting the book fair, Barnes and Noble provided a voucher that can be used at checkout, so a portion of Barnes and Noble purchases goes back to Jonahs Fund. Today, Dec. 20 is the last day to use the voucher. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/chocolatebarbook.
Left to right (clockwise): Rabin, Lora, Rachel, Jonah, Eli Pournazarian on a variety of topics ranging from autism, entrepreneurship, human rights and the status of women. Being a public delegate during this season was probably a little more unique than other years. Right from the get-go, there were huge global issues happening all over the world, she said. Saban sat in on various conversations in the General Assembly that included conflicts in Benghazi, Gaza, Mali, Rwanda and Syria. As a delegate she was able to come in contact with several branches of the United Nations, including U.N. Women, headed by Michelle Bachelet and second-in-command Lakshmi Puri. These women really have brought the issue to the forefront and I would say that