Craig Willinger Fund makes soccer dreams come true for Texas teen Diweni Jituboh
BALTIMORE, MD – The Craig Willinger Fund (CWFund) proudly announce 16-year-old Diweni Jituboh of Wylie, Texas as its 14th honoree. Diweni will be honored with a behind the scenes experience courtesy of D.C. United.
Diweni Jituboh never envisioned a life that didn’t include soccer. In only her freshman year, Diweni earned a place on her high school varsity soccer team in Wylie, Texas. This, and her play for the FC Dallas U15 squad, began drawing the attention of Division 1 scouts.
Unfortunately, things changed quickly. Diweni sought medical care after a game-induced knee injury didn’t seem to heal. In March 2017, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. While thankful her cancer was caught early, Diweni’s only cure was chemotherapy and surgery involving a total knee replacement in order to remove the tumor in her bone. At the age of 14, Diweni’s dreams of playing soccer were over.
“Diweni has been through a lot in her young life and when we heard about her story at D.C. United, we wanted to help,” shared Chris Hull, D.C. United Vice President. “We are thrilled that Diweni will be our guest as we prepare for our first home opener at Audi Field versus 2018 MLS Cup winner Atlanta United.”
The Craig Willinger Fund, formed in 2009, seeks to improve the lives of children and young adults stricken with cancer by providing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to experience world-class soccer—both domestically and abroad. Since 2010, fourteen honorees have traveled to South Africa, Barcelona, Milan, London, Madrid, New York City, Kansas City, Manchester (UK), Leiceister (UK), and Brazil, including two World Cup tournaments and a UEFA Champions League Final. Visit www.cwfund.org for more information.
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PRONUNCIATION:
di-WHEN-ee JIH-two-boh
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES CONTACT:
Emily Agueda
443.739.6875
emily@cwfund.org