Loving wife and mother. Talented surgeon. Avid Ethicist. Ice skating enthusiast. These are just a few of the many and beloved qualities that Aviva exemplified during her too-short time here with us. And those of us who knew and loved her know that her exuberant spirit, extensive interests, and involvement in the community has touched so many lives and has created a legacy that will remain with us forever.

Aviva was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from the Sophie Davis School of Medicine (City College of New York) and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. She was a surgical resident at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston and the University of Buffalo, and a pediatric surgery fellow at the University of Michigan (where she met Daniel). After completing fellowship, she was an Attending physician in the Division of Pediatric Surgery at the duPont Hospital for Children and beginning in 2006, at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Aviva developed myelofibrosis which evolved into acute myelogenous leukemia in 2016, and underwent a stem cell transplant in early 2017. She succumbed to complications of influenza infection in early 2018.

In addition to being a dedicated pediatric surgeon, Aviva completed a Masters in Bioethics at the University of Pittsburgh and served as Director of the Ethics Consultation Service at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, helping families and staff navigate challenging issues. Aviva was very passionate about ethical issues, including the ethical implications of the structure of medical education, and the ethics of medical research. Her expertise also landed her the role of Vice Chair of the University of Pittsburgh’s Institutional Review Board and Director of the University of Pittsburgh Consortium Ethics Program, in addition to serving as chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Bioethics and the American Pediatric Surgery Association Ethics Committee. It is clear that her knowledge and drive ran deep and ultimately helped so many of us. Aviva was admired, respected and above all, trusted by so many, who sought her guidance and wisdom, and touched our lives for the better.

It is due to this passion and dedication that our family established the Aviva Katz Memorial Program in Pediatric Ethics, supporting the work of the pediatric Ethics Committee and Ethics Consultation Service at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Our family has contributed $100,000 to show our investment in this important work and we would be honored if you would join us in this effort by making a gift in Aviva’s memory to help us reach our goal. We have some thank you gifts for a range of donor amounts (pens, bracelets, bow ties, scrub caps, jerseys).

We feel very fortunate to know Aviva was loved by so many, and that we have the opportunity to create a lasting legacy of her spirit at Children’s. We thank you in advance for your consideration of support and for the love that you have shown Aviva and our family.

Gratefully,

Daniel, Alexandra, Samuel, Channah and Shoshana Weiner for #TeamAviva

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Aviva Katz Memorial Fund for Pediatric Ethics

learning how to make the right decisions