Aviva Bernardo Kullberg Women in Science Fund

Aviva Lilia Bernardo Kullberg had a huge heart and loved everybody with her bright smile and radiant energy. Our precious Aviva passed away unexpectedly after severe heart complications. Though she had bouts of bradycardia (slow heart rate), doctors were puzzled and weren't able to figure out what afflicted her. Frustratingly piles of data and lots of tests couldn't reveal anything abnormal and we wish we could have answers.  We are absolutely devastated and crushed by her loss. Heartbroken doesn't even begin to describe the feeling - our world is shattered to pieces.

In Aviva's memory, we have established the Aviva Women in Science programs and Aviva Day to support families in the NICU in Cameroon and help further the advancement of science of heart disease and its causes for women studying in this field. We hope her legacy will live on through these women that are driving progress in science. This fund will be used to support scholarships for women to study medicine and science, launch community health programs to support pregnant women and their infants, further research in the maternal and child field, help families in the NICU over the holidays for Aviva Day, and support our staff and programs to make it all happen on the ground.

Three years have now passed since we lost our beloved angel, and we have been so honored to award our first Aviva Scholarship to Mbwame Niegem to study neonatology and launch our first community health program to provide antenatal consultations and ultrasounds to over 200+ women in the rural and war-torn regions of NW Cameroon under the leadership and guidance of Dr. Gwaynama Noella and Talk Pregnancy with Dr. Noella. Please watch a video of this tremendous work here and below: Fighting Maternal Morality in NW Region of Cameroon.

We will always miss Aviva's infectious smile, cute giggle, cherub laughter and special kisses but we know Heaven has gained an angel and she is watching down over all of us. Her legacy of love and joy live on through this fund and we sincerely thank you for your support in keeping our daughter's memory alive and supporting other families through pregnancy, birth, and their own infants health and wellbeing.

Aviva always lit up the room with her smile and brought us so much happiness. Smile down on us always, our sunshine Aviva. We love you more than you'll ever know.