11-Year-Old Boy Celebrates Birthday by Fundraising for Pasadena Fire Department With Violin Recital

To celebrate his 11th birthday, Pasadena resident Nathan Luhur and his younger sister Alannah will be giving a violin recital at The Lodge in Sierra Madre on Saturday, Oct. 16, in honor of the Pasadena firefighters who helped deliver Nathan at the boy’s home in 2010.

Their father, Frederick Luhur, said the children are also honoring the OB-gynecologist who helped deliver Alannah in Glendale in 2014 who died last year.

“Nathan has been learning violin for the last three years, and this is going to be his first time performing to friends and family,” Frederick Luhur said. “Instead of just doing a regular recital, the celebration where typically people will give some personal gifts, we thought that it would be nice that we are doing this one as a contributor back to the community.”

Instead of gifts for the two children, the Luhur family is encouraging a small monetary contribution to either the Pasadena Fire Department or Adventist Health Glendale where Alannah was born.

Back in October 2010, Nathan Luhur’s mother had experienced abdominal pain a day before his birth but had been told it wasn’t time yet. They decided to go home.

The night of Oct. 5, Frederick said they had to call 911 because Nathan’s head was coming out! That night, paramedic Alex Reyes, assisted by other firefighters from Fire Station 33, helped deliver the baby boy.

Alex Reyes is now a fire captain, and they’ve been in touch with the Luhur family on a regular basis. On Tuesday, Nathan and his sister were at Fire Station 38 where Reyes is currently assigned. The Fire Department Wednesday posted about the visit on Facebook.

“It’s moments like this we never forget and why we take pride in our careers every day,” the post said. “Nathan just celebrated his birthday today (Oct. 5) with Captain Reyes who delivered him 11 years ago. Nathan, with his sister Alannah, had a memorable night at Fire Station 38.”

“It wasn’t the first time that we’ve been in touch since he was born,” Frederick said. “I’m in touch with the firefighter that helped him, including the captain, and one of the traditions that I was doing is bring him to the fire department and celebrate his birthday the month that he was born. We did that one last year, and again this year we did that.”

With the violin recital on Oct. 16, the family would like to raise funds so the Pasadena firefighters and Adventist Health Glendale can continue their community programs.

“We thought that having them do the recital and also, with the birth story for both of them, we thought that, in memory of the doctor that had been hurt at the time, we are also contributing the donation to Adventist health Glendale,” Frederick said. “Basically I’m doing this as a fundraising for the two organizations that helped with the birth of my children.”

Aside from playing the violin with his sister, Nathan Luhur is also a chess player. In September 2019, he won first place in the Elite Division of the Ray Joiner Chess Tournament hosted by the Pasadena Educational Foundation. Over 85 players from Pasadena Unified School District schools took part in the tournament.

The Luhur siblings’ Violin Recital Debut will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 16 at The Lodge, located at 33 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. in Pasadena.