Photo courtesy of John Vecchiolla
GREENWICH – Vivienne Finn will always be remembered for the impact she had in her 11 years of life. A gifted artist, reader, writer and actress in such school plays at Sacred Heart of Greenwich, Vivienne also earned the Philippine Duchesne Award for generosity of spirit in 2019.
In March 2020, Mairead and David Finn lost Vivienne to an inoperable brain tumor known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). To honor her life, Vivienne’s brother, Connor, organized the 2024 Holiday Fundraiser for 10-18-year-old patients at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital (YNHCH).
Through their efforts, the Finn family eclipsed their $25,000 fundraising goal, bringing in $27,550, as well as an array of gifts from an Amazon wish list. YNHCH will use the proceeds to enhance the pediatric oncology patient experience for children admitted to the hospital.
The fundraiser is a continuation of the Luke McQuillan Fundraiser which began in 2017 after fellow Greenwich resident Luke McQuillan’s own battle with cancer at the age of 8, when he was a student at Riverside Elementary School. Vivienne was one of the children positively impacted by Luke’s donations. She received a pair of headphones, and she liked to listen to music during her chemotherapy treatments.
A Greenwich High School graduate and now a busy college student, Luke passed the torch to Connor and the Finn family in 2023. They now carry on the tradition of giving gifts to children with life-threatening diseases. In the Finn families’ first year, they raised nearly $35,000.
With the help of his family, Luke launched his first holiday gift drive in 2017. That first year, Luke collected nearly $14,000 worth of toys, earbuds, art supplies and other items chosen especially for 10- to 18-year-olds fighting cancer at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. It became an annual event.
The Finn family presented a check Monday, Jan. 6 to Dr. Asher Marks, director of pediatric neuro-oncology, YNHCH, associate professor of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine (YSM), and Dr. Vidya Puthenpura, MHS, pediatric hematology-oncologist, YNHCH and assistant professor of Pediatrics, YSM, at the YNHCH Pediatric Specialty Center in Greenwich.
Drs. Marks and Puthenpura played pivotal roles in Vivienne’s care and the Finn family wanted to extend their appreciation.
There was a strong showing of support by attendees who included Connor’s friends and classmates from the Brunswick School and Vivienne’s friend from King School in Stamford. Mairead also expressed her gratitude to Eastern Middle School in Riverside, Sacred Heart of Greenwich, Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York, and the Frederick Gunn School in Washington, Connecticut. These institutions have helped keep Vivienne’s memory alive through their generous donations and efforts to raise awareness about pediatric cancer.
The loss of a child is one of the most devastating things anyone can experience in life. Through it all, Mairead Finn remains grateful for the team at YNHCH and the Pediatric Specialty Center, as well as the support from the community.
“Having a center of excellence with a team full of caring doctors so close to us is so important,” she said. “And to have Connor and Vivienne’s friends show up for Vivienne today means that Vivienne’s life did not end in vain.”
