7th SoCal Rb Family Day Grows a Resilient Community Where No One Faces Retinoblastoma Alone
Monday December 15, 2025
In September 2025, 140 survivors, patients, family members, friends and medical professionals gathered at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for the 7th Southern California Rb Family Day, sharing laughter, tears, and powerful solidarity. WE C Hope USA President and Founding Board Member, Marissa D. Gonzalez, reflects on this transformative day filled with love and light, and the hope and healing nurtured in community.
Over 100 of our SoCal Rb Family Day 2025 guests gather for a joyful group photo.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) played host to 140 members of the Southern California retinoblastoma community on Saturday, September 27, 2025.
Chief of Ophthalmology and Director of the Ocular Oncology program, Dr. Jesse L. Berry, helped us coordinate an afternoon to remember, along with her incredible team, including Natalie Fleming. The day included activities based on child life theories, several educational presentations, cuddles with hospital therapy dogs and so much more.
Dr. Jesse Berry welcomes our community to CHLA at to SoCal Rb Family Day.
Rb Survivor and WE C Hope board member Clay Colbert-Dorsey (R) catches up with the Lubash Family – Rb survivor Mark Lubash (L) and his family members, Ronna and Chuck, who stand in the middle.
Getting to Know You
Each family day introduces newly diagnosed patients and families to our community of survivors and supporters who have attended across multiple years. One such family is the Espinosa family, whose Rb survivor, Ángel, is now nine years old. They have never missed a family day and consistently bring dozens of cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents to show the unwavering village that envelops this sweet young boy.
Angel’s smiling army of supporters.
One of our new attendees this year was Molly Young and her husband, Chance. Molly’s story is an enormous rarity in the medical world. She was diagnosed at age 33 with a retinoma that turned into retinoblastoma.
In early 2025, Molly was shocked to learn that she had retinoblastoma, and struggled to come to terms with this extremely rare and life-altering diagnosis. SoCal Rb Family Day was Molly’s introduction to the Rb community and her first opportunity to meet any other person affected by this disease. She shared that this event was life-changing because she no longer feels alone, even if her Rb journey is very different than most.
Another new family this year was the Lubash family, which included 64-year-old survivor Mark, his wife Ronna, and his 93-year-old father, Chuck. Mark and Ronna first encountered WE C Hope when they attended our 2024 One Retinoblastoma World conference in Hawaii. Until that point, Mark had spent his patient and survivor journey alone as he had never met another person with Rb.
His father, Chuck, spoke eloquently during family introductions, sharing decades of wisdom with fellow Rb parents, saying,
“I’m very, very impressed with this group. You don’t need many words of wisdom because I see all of you parents, survivors, and patients and I see your concern. That is the major thing a parent has to have: concern for the child and their ability to go forward in life. Let them develop; the challenge of life has not stopped.
My son Mark has done everything that you could possibly imagine. He is one of the best skiers; he has skied every mountain in the West. He was on a team that tried for the 1984 Olympic Games as a decathlete. He does everything that’s ‘normal.’ Again, I encourage you to let your children develop to their greatest ability. Let them develop. You’ll be surprised at how well they can.”
93-year-old Rb parent Chuck Lubash holds the room as he recounts his son’s story.
A fellow parent who knows what life was like prior to family support events and social media groups is WE C Hope USA Vice President, Lori Baños. Lori is mom to 24-year-old survivor Sena, and founder of the Rb Moms Facebook group. Reflecting on the event, Lori said,
“WE C Hope’s Southern California Rb Family Day was a meaningful opportunity for eye cancer survivors and their families to connect, share their journeys, and find community. With inspiring speakers and heartfelt conversations, it created a supportive space for families, including myself, who have been impacted by this rare cancer to connect.
After so many years of feeling isolated, I’m grateful to play a small part in bringing retinoblastoma survivors and their families together. These connections are lifelong and span across states, countries, and continents. I feel truly blessed to be part of this incredible community.”
David Weber, a 22-year-old Rb survivor, commented on the growth of SoCal Family Day, saying that, “this event has grown a lot since 2018. Meeting a lot more people with a diagnosis like mine makes me feel less alone in this experience, and now I have so many more connections.”
Rb survivors and families connect, chat, and catch up during our social hour. This eclectic group features Rb survivor David Weber and his mother, Lori; WE C Hope USA board member Cat Cox and her husband, Joe Cox; and Eyehesive’s Shelby Perry.
Rb mom Amanda Scheib, whose family drove to Los Angeles from Nevada, recounted the story of her son’s diagnosis:
“My oldest son, Cooper, was diagnosed at six weeks old. He had a nystagmus, and the third pediatrician we went to caught it and referred us to a pediatric ophthalmologist. We couldn’t get in for a month, so my brother, who’s a nurse, examined Cooper and said, ‘he’s missing his red reflex, you need to go see the doctor immediately.’ We got really lucky; I got in with an ophthalmologist, and we were at CHLA within a week. We started treatment when he was seven weeks old and it’s been a long journey. We’re very thankful to be here with you guys today.”
Engaging Presentations
Along with family introductions, this year marked the first time we had presentations at family day. Dr. Berry kicked things off by introducing members of the Rb team at CHLA. They included Natalie Fleming, Project Manager; Kathy Anulao, Clinical Services Manager at the Vision Center; Paula Belson, CRNA Manager; and Elaine Huang, M.D. Candidate at the Keck School of Medicine, and retinoblastoma researcher at The Vision Center and USC Roski Eye Institute.
Reflecting later, Dr. Berry shared,
“Hosting SoCal Rb Family Day with World Eye Cancer Hope USA at CHLA was one of the most meaningful experiences of my career. Seeing decades of CHLA retinoblastoma patients and so many members of our Rb team together in one space was a profound reminder of the community, resilience, and shared purpose that define our work. As Director of Ocular Oncology, it reaffirmed the privilege and responsibility I carry in caring for these children and advancing the future of retinoblastoma care.”
After a heartfelt welcome from Dr. Berry and the CHLA team, I introduced my fellow WE C Hope USA Board Members in attendance – Lori Baños, Clayonia Colbert-Dorsey, Cat Cox, Rachel Paulos, and Kassady Garrison – as well as executive assistants, Alex Paulos and Bethany Folks. Having so many members of our team present to engage with the families was wonderful. I also thanked the other volunteers, including many members of my family, who helped make the afternoon memorable.
The spectacular staff who made SoCal Rb Family Day a great success!
Next up was Shelby Perry, founder of Eyehesive, a global brand empowering people with eye loss to own their story, reclaim their power, and create impact. Shelby lost one eye from a snowboarding accident, and this began her journey to encourage others who have lost an eye for any reason. She proved to be a resilient and positive role model for those with eye loss, and handed out samples of her new high-performance adhesive eye patches.
Sarah Haddad and Rob Piercy from Ocular Prosthetics Inc. then joined us for a talk and slideshow about prosthetic eyes. They explained the process of creating a mold for a custom-fit eye, what a conformer is, and how to care for and clean your eye. They also highlighted the importance of regular appointments with an ocularist to check socket health and prosthetic fit, and to have it professionally cleaned.
Sarah and Rob from Ocular Prosthetics give an engaging, insightful presentation for families and survivors eager to learn.
Children’s Corner
Our wonderful children’s program volunteers, Bethany Folks and McKensi Palmer, brushed up on their knowledge of child life principles to bring fun and education to our Rb kiddos and siblings at family day. From practicing putting eye drops into the eyes of stuffed animals to coloring and designing paper prosthetic eyes, our young attendees learned new medical coping techniques, and developed their existing skills, all while having fun.
A CHLA family share healing time together during the children’s program, where activities brought support and skills to patients, siblings, and parents.
Thanks to our friends at the company Nixi for Children, we had two of our very own interactive medical-play dolls named Nixi. Nixi comes to us from Spain and has a kit complete with an eyepatch, thermometer, syringe, bandage, anesthesia mask, stickers and a bravery certificate. Bethany and McKensi walked children through each of Nixi’s accessories, discussing the importance of each item. Each child had the opportunity to be the doctor at Nixi’s check-up and received a bravery certificate baring their name.
Rb kiddos Charlottle and Orla play with WE C Hope young volunteer Brooklyn in the activity corner.
Reflecting on the event, Bethany shared, “I was absolutely honored to lead this year’s SoCal Family Day children’s program. Witnessing the instant kindness and companionship formed among those young patients, survivors, and siblings was a testament to the crucial necessity of family and survivor events in the Rb community.”
Bethany also recalled the special connection she and McKensi made with 10-year-old Orla, saying,
“What an absolute privilege and joy it was taking polaroid pictures with sweet little Orla who wanted something to remember me and McKensi by. Orla later inspired one of the most heartwarming moments of the gathering when she shared that this was her first time meeting other kids with a prosthetic eye and it was also the first time that she didn’t feel like the rest of the room was staring at her.”
Avery poses with her brilliant, beautiful prosthetic eye design.
Bethany helps children practice administering eye drops to their stuffed animals.
The amazing therapy dog team from CHLA added warmth, snuggles and a few wet noses to our event with two of their pups joining the fun. Children and adults alike couldn’t resist spending time with these four-legged friends while also learning about their role in the hospital – helping to calm patients, parents, and the medical team during times of stress.
Retinoblastoma survivor, Clara, and pet therapy dog, Fraggle, instantly bond as they compete in the cutest staring-contest imaginable.
Even More Connections
The day concluded with the lively results of our raffle, bringing donated prizes such as Lego sets, gift certificates, and fun experiences to the group while raising funds to support the event. The raffle facilitated networking and some friendly competition, and encouraged even the youngest attendees to get involved!
The Guimaraes family relax together during lunch.
Continuing our years-long tradition, attendees were encouraged to bring toy and gift card donations for the retinoblastoma program at CHLA. Spearheaded by the Coshow family, siblings Jasper, Avery, and Conor collected over 200 toys, books, games, and more, making the event entryway look like a toy store. The Coshows are dedicated to giving back to CHLA as all three children have received treatment there.
During family introductions, Jasper shared about their Rb journey and leading the toy drive.
Our toy drive was a huge success, amassing 200+ toys for kiddos in the CHLA Retinoblastoma Program.
With our largest-ever regional family day in the books, it is so rewarding to create a positive place in the lives of the Rb community, no matter where people are on their journey. These events and support groups did not exist when many of our now adult survivors were going through treatment, myself included. I know first-hand how crucial it is for both our adult survivor community and our younger families in treatment to have a safe space to bond with others who have walked a similar path. It makes me incredibly proud to organize our family events and witness life-long connections and friendships being made.
An enormous thank you to the World Eye Cancer Hope USA board, the team at CHLA and our volunteers. Your time, energy, and dedication made this event a fantastic success – a supportive, uplifting, and empowering experience for everyone.
SoCal Family Day event merch helped unite our community even more this year. Here are some of our WE C Hope board members and volunteers wearing various WE C Hope and SoCal Rb Family Day apparel.
Support Future Family Events
WE C Hope USA relies on the kindness of individuals, foundations and corporations to produce regional family events such as this one. If you would like to ensure our vital programming continues, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to World Eye Cancer Hope.
Our fantastic raffle table featured wristbands to the Santa Monica Pier, In-N-Out gift cards, a Raising Cane’s gift basket, and much more.
Special Thanks to Our Raffle Donors
About the Author
Marissa Gonzalez resides in Southern California and is an event director. She is a founding board member, and current President of World Eye Cancer Hope USA, and was Event Chair for the One Retinoblastoma World Conference in 2017 and 2021. In her downtime, Marissa enjoys travelling and going to Disneyland.
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