EyeWitness News Team Walks Brain Tumor 5K

New York City (WABC) — A team of WABC-TV employees, including director Maril Galvez, walked and ran as a team at Sunday’s rally to beat brain cancer in honor of former news director Rehan Aslam. who died in July After a year’s battle with glioblastoma.

WABC, along with the American Brain Tumor Association, sponsored the BT 5K Breakthrough for Brain Tumors Run and Walk, with our own David Novarro as the event’s MC.

The event kicked off at Pier 84 at Hudson River Park.

Aslam was a wonderful husband, father, son, brother and friend. After spending her six years at her ABC affiliate in Houston, last year she landed her dream job at WABC-TV in New York City.

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He headed the newsroom for just a few months before being diagnosed.

“You don’t have a long life expectancy,” said Dr. Viviane Tabar, director of neurosurgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “18 months of treatment, including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.”

Most brain tumors have many variables, including age, people’s response to treatment, and cancerous tumor progression. However, with glioblastoma, the chances of that happening are far from high.

“That particular type of tumor is already at stage 4,” Dr. Tabar said. “There are other types of brain tumors that show up in the early stages, but this particular trauma is already showing up in that condition.”

Glioblastoma tumors are generally located in the brainstem region, making them difficult to reach and nearly impossible to remove surgically.

The hard truth about glioblastoma is that researchers have a long way to go before they have an answer, but it’s a rare cancer.

“For glioblastoma in particular, it is estimated that about 7 out of 100,000 people are diagnosed in this country each year,” said Dr. Tabar. “The lifetime risk of getting glioblastoma is less than 1%, so the odds of a person getting glioblastoma are very low. And then it’s very tragic and dramatic: whole circles of people are affected by it.”

Aslam began his broadcasting career in 2001 on WEWS-TV in Cleveland, Ohio. He then produced for WJW-TV in Cleveland and executive produced for WFLD-TV in Chicago.

He joined KTRK-TV in Houston in 2014 as Assistant News Director and was appointed Vice President and News Director in 2019.

Joined WABC in 2021.

Aslam has a passion for storytelling and spends her days serving a diverse community. He was a founding member of the Houston Affiliation Committee for the ABC-owned television station, a group focused on diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

He believed that representation is important in the stories that are told every day.

Known for his infectious laugh, warm smile, and ability to connect with anyone in conversation, Rehan inspired each of us to be our best selves and journalists every day.

Rehan was an amazing person and everyone who knew him instantly liked him. He was kind, smart, hardworking, and loved being in the news industry.

He always had a sense of curiosity as a prerequisite for working in the industry. His loss was felt in our newsroom and felt by everyone who had contact with him.

Rehan is 47 years old and has a wife, Sadaf, and a son, Rafae.

Related | New York City Men’s Survival Stories for Glioblastoma Awareness Day

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