About

Having a son with hemophilia herself, Cindy is passionate about making a positive difference for those living with chronic bleeding disorders.

Cindy was responsible for the vision, leadership, advocacy and strategic direction of the Arizona Hemophilia Association (AHA) for 15 years. She first joined the board of directors where she served as Vice-President and President before becoming the Executive Director and ultimately the CEO. Cindy wrote the business plans and founded the Arizona Bleeding Disorders Health and Wellness Center (ABDC), My Neighborhood Primary Care (MNPC), AVASA RX, and Get Infused Infusion Suite. All provide a perpetual revenue stream that is reinvested back into AHA to fund the programs and services at AHA. During her tenure, AHA tripled the revenue and quadrupled the staff and the programs that the AHA provides to the Arizona community.

Cindy came up with the concept, wrote the grants and established the NOW (National Outreach for von Willebrand’s Disease) Conference and Fundfusion (National Fundraising Conference for Hemophilia chapters). She expanded programming, increased funding, and served as the chair for NACCHO (North American Camping Conferences for Hemophilia Organizations) the past 12 years. Cindy has been progressive and innovative in developing new funding sources and opportunities. She has received grants from BHHS Legacy Foundation and Thunderbird Charities to develop AVASA RX, a pharmacy that provides the medications for those with chronic bleeding disorders and other infusion therapies.

Cindy attended graduate school at Thunderbird International School of Management where she obtained a Master’s Degree in Business and International Management. Prior to joining AHA, she worked for 18 years in business development, sales, and insurance. She loves serving nonprofit organizations where each day she can help make a difference in the lives of others. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her 3 kids and her husband.

Kristy began her career as an internal auditor at a large insurance company. This introduced her to financial controls and an understanding and passion for corporate efficiency, ethics and a solid control environment. After having her first child, she began working part time and took on the role as controller of the US operations of an international software company for five years. She also spent a few years in the public accounting environment, as a manager of accounting services. Save One Life is Kristy’s first experience in the non-profit environment. She joined Save One Life in 2015. As the mother of two young boys, Save One Life’s mission spoke to her and she is happy to be part of an organization that assists children in need.

Kristy earned her Bachelors in Business Administration, with a minor in Applied Statistics, from Bryant. She lives in Lynnfield, MA with her husband and two sons.

Jenn started her career in radio and television before moving into the non-profit sector, where she worked for several years at the MSPCA at Nevins Farm’s Horse and Farm Animal Shelter. More recently Jenn worked on a contract basis for an educational publishing company and as a aide at her children’s school. She joined Save One Life in September of 2018. Jenn is happy to be back working for a non-profit with such a meaningful cause. She is excited to grow our programs to help as many people suffering from blood disorders as possible.

Jenn earned a BA in Communication from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She lives in West Newbury, MA with her husband, two kids and dog.

Ariana started her career as a fine artist, until she joined the Save One Life team in 2023 as an Administrative Assistant. Now she is our Communications and Fundraising Coordinator. Ariana is thrilled to be able to use her creativity for such an amazing cause. She loves having the opportunity to share our mission through our social media, marketing and events!

Ariana graduated from Umass Lowell in 2022 with a BFA in Studio Art and a minor in Art History. Ariana lives in Andover, MA with her partner. On her free time, she does freelance photography and design.

Traci is the Administrative Assistant at Save One Life, where she supports the team’s mission with a heartfelt commitment to service. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Salem State University and has previously worked in educational and therapeutic settings, where she developed a passion for helping children overcome challenges and reach their potential. Joining Save One Life was a natural next step—another meaningful way to make a positive impact in the lives of children. Outside of work, she enjoys practicing yoga, exploring hiking trails, and spending time with family.

Fay retired in 2017 from her 34-year career managing royalty distributions at a not-for-profit copyright compliance organization. In 2019, she began volunteering for Save One Life. She was grateful for the opportunity to help young people around the world with hemophilia. In January, 2021, Fay became a part-time member of the Save One Life team as Program Assistant.

Fay has a B.A. from Syracuse University. She lives with her husband in West Newbury, Massachusetts. They have one son who is married and has two young daughters. Fay and Russ enjoy spending one day a week playing with, and caring for, their granddaughters.

Debbie de la Riva is the Ambassador Program Coordinator at Save One Life. She has a son with hemophilia and has been an active member of the bleeding disorders community for over 30 years. She previously served as Executive Director of the Lone Star Bleeding Disorders Foundation and has participated on several national committees.

Debbie is also a licensed professional counselor and is regarded as a community expert on the mental health aspects of living with a bleeding disorder. She first connected with Save One Life by sponsoring three children and has witnessed firsthand the positive impact the organization has had on their lives.

Debbie believes deeply in the mission and capabilities of Save One Life and has seen the transformation that occurs when someone feels seen, heard, and valued.

Her goal is to raise awareness about the challenges faced by children living with bleeding disorders in under-resourced countries and to create opportunities for individuals in the United States to make a meaningful difference in their lives.

Marelle Hart is the Europe Liaison of Save One Life. She holds a Masters Degree in International Communication from the University of Amsterdam. She then worked for various international organizations, such as Doctors without Borders and International Dialogues Foundation. For several years she also worked as a freelance journalist, among others for Radio Netherlands World Service and the Dutch Press Agency. Due to her work, she traveled extensively to the most challenging parts of the world. Throughout her career she has been involved voluntarily with many charities such as the World Peace Forum and the Red Cross. Marelle joined Save One Life as a volunteer in 2016 and is glad to use her expertise to support hemophilia families. Marelle was born and raised mainly in the Netherlands and partly in California. Presently she lives with her husband and two children in Germany, near the border of Luxembourg. Marelle is a mother of two sons with severe hemophilia B.

Usha has had a long career in hemophilia, starting in 1986 when she helped Ashok Verma establish Hemophilia Federation (India). She traveled to many locations as the vice president of development for HFI, helping patients and parents organize into HFI chapters and playing a key role in helping to raise the standard of treatment and social acceptance of hemophilia. In 2009, four years after leaving HFI, Usha generously agreed to serve in a volunteer capacity as the India program coordinator for Save One Life. She has been instrumental in realizing Save One Life’s mission in India–enrolling new program partners, monitoring programs and raising the visibility of our work.

Usha comes from Chennai in Tamil Nadu and received her bachelor’s degree from Madras University. She is the daughter of a father and mother of a son with hemophilia, who lives with his wife and two girls in Pennsylvania.