David J Kabakow Foundation for HLH Research & Education

03/17/2026

We are excited to announce that our 2025 Lecture
is now available to watch on davidjkabakowfoundation.org/lectures.

It’s hard not to wonder what his life might look like today—what paths he would have taken? What would he be doing? Where would life have taken him? Would he have a family of his own? David had a way of bringing light to those around him, and even though his life was far too short, that light continues to guide the work we do in his honor.

David passed away at the age of 23 from the rare disease HLH. In the midst of unimaginable loss, our family created this foundation to ensure that his story could help others. Our mission is simple but important: to educate medical professionals about HLH so that more patients can be diagnosed and treated in timely manner.

Each year, thanks to your generosity, we host educational lectures about HLH that are available for anyone to watch. These programs help raise awareness, share critical medical knowledge, and support the healthcare community in
recognizing this rare but devastating disease.

Because of your support and donations, we have been able to continue funding these lectureships programs. We are grateful that we can honor David’s legacy in a meaningful way.

On David’s birthday, we remember him with love, gratitude, hope, and a smile. Thank you for helping us keep his spirit alive by spreading awareness and education about HLH.

Happy Heavenly Birthday, David. You are always in our hearts.

10/23/2025

Hi Everyone,

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since David passed away from HLH. In some ways, it feels like just yesterday — and in others, like a lifetime has passed. Time has moved both quickly and slowly. And yet, through it all, we feel David’s presence. We carry countless memories and stories of him — moments that still bring warmth to our hearts and even smiles to our faces. His kindness, his laughter, and the love he shared are still alive in each of us who knew him. We think of David often. When we see a house has gone on the market, we think of him. When people talk about their kids going off to sleepaway camp, we think of him. When we see a duck, we think of David. Ten years later, we miss him just as deeply — but we also continue to feel the gift of having had him in our lives.

If anyone has any memories or stories about David they have not shared with us, we would love to hear them. We are working hard to keep David's memory alive and to be active in the HLH community.

We are happy to announce that on October 21st the Second Annual David J. Kabakow Lectureship Program took place at Mass General Brigham in Boston. We had a great turnout. We continue to push forward in achieving our goal to educate as many medical professionals as possible. Our friends’ and family's donations have enabled us to establish this program. and we are grateful for everyone's generosity.

With Love,
Robin and Mark

10/19/2025

We are pleased to announce that the David J. Kabakow Foundation’s Second Annual Lectureship Series will be presenting on Tuesday, Oct 21st at 12:00pm EDT.
We have attached a link if you would like to join online via Microsoft Teams.

"Identifying and Treating Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in Adults – A Plethora of Inflammatory Conditions to Navigate"

Dr. Sarah Nikiforow, MD, PhD, is a physician–scientist in the field of hematologic oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She serves as Technical Director of the Immune Effector Cell Therapy Program and Medical Director of the Connell & O’Reilly Families Cell Manipulation Core Facility, where her work focuses on translating novel cellular therapies such as CAR T cells into the clinic.

Her clinical expertise includes adoptive cellular therapy, stem cell transplant (including allogeneic transplantation), and managing patients undergoing CAR T-cell therapy. Dr. Nikiforow completed her medical training at Yale University School of Medicine, followed by residency in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and a fellowship in hematology/oncology at the Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare program.

Join the meeting here: https://davidjkabakowfoundation.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a667b8de92d9f51f2bdb10d7b&id=f4ea8a4a27&e=b230cd9de5

Meeting ID: 266 243 023 008 4
Passcode: Zk9Ku6Nv
Dial in by phone
+1 857-327-9287, 490201225 #
United States, Boston
Phone conference ID: 490 201 225 #

03/20/2025

Thank you all for remembering David on his birthday and donating to the David J. Kabakow Foundation in his memory.

02/28/2025

09/19/2024

03/17/2024

Today would have been David's 32nd Birthday, and the fact that it falls on St. Patrick's Day always made David feel special. We always watched the parade together as a family. When he was young, he felt that the Parade in New York City was for him. That's also why he loved the color green so much! We miss him and love him more than ever!

We are proud to announce that we have completed the necessary fundraising for the David J. Kabakow Lectureship Program, to be held at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA. This Lectureship Program will bring together healthcare professionals, drug company employees, and researchers both in person and virtually, who have an interest in Secondary HLH. The inaugural event will take place at the hospital in Boston on Friday, September 13, 2024. Because we are dedicated to the early detection, and a cure, we will continue to fundraise for research and education of this horrible disease.

Please stay tuned for additional information on the Lectureship Program as the details are finalized with Brigham and Women's Hospital, in the near future. We thank you all for your generous support through the years, as this annual event wouldn't be possible without you.

Robin & Mark Kabakow

01/01/2024

We would like to thank everyone for their support of the David J. Kabakow Foundation this year. We are so appreciative and hope to make a difference in the lives of people who have HLH by being diagnosed quickly and getting the care they need.
Wishing all a very happy and healthy New Year.

Here are a few pictures of David celebrating New Years on a cruise. (one of his favorite vacations)