However, his boss, Jill Barad (then President of Mattel), proposed instead to Joe that he take a few weeks off to think about what he wanted to do with the rest of his life and trust that his friends and business colleagues would be there to support him. Cristina decided to publicly disclose his HIV+ status, and he was overwhelmed by the enormous outpouring of support he received. The response from everyone was the same: "What can I do to help?" Cristina realized that he was being faced with a once in a lifetime opportunity to help make a difference in the world. The encouragement and support that he received from those at Mattel and throughout the children's industry inspired him. That inspiration, along with an improvement in his health due to the advent of "HIV cocktail therapy", convinced him to stay at Mattel and find a way to mobilize this network of diverse resources to make a positive difference in the lives of children affected by HIV/AIDS. Hence, the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation was born. In 2007, Cristina's health again began to falter due to the long-term effects of HIV coupled with medication side effects, and it became necessary for him to go on an extended medical leave from Mattel. Joe Cristina served as the Board Chair for CAAF. Administration CAAF had a staff of seven led by President Catherine Brown. The group has its headquarters in Los Angeles and maintains a satellite office in Chicago. References Health charities in the United States HIV/AIDS organizations in the United States Medical and health organizations based in California