Students Organize Sweet Fundraiser for Friend Battling Leukemia (w/video)

Written by admin on 26 February 2011

Sydney-Mae (left) and Amy (right), organizers of the Bake Sale.

: Mother’s volunteer behind the counter as classes of students come through to shop.

MANITOUWADGE, ON– Friday, February 25th students Amy Bodak (Grade 5) and Sydney-Mae Courtemanche (Grade 6), from Our Lady of Lourdes School, were thrilled with the support shown by students, faculty and the community at large for the bake sale they organized as a fundraiser for the family of their friend, Catherine Costello, who is battling Leukemia.

Throughout the day, parents continued bringing plates full of delicious treats, anyone who came from outside the school to purchase baked goods seemed to leave and tell a friend or co-worker to do the same. Understanding that the goodies were sold for just $0.25/item helps put into perspective just how successful the sale was to have raised a total of $1000! Many adult shoppers chose to give donations, turn down their change or pay more than the set price for their snacks wanting to do their part for such an important cause.

Catherine and her family moved from Manitouwadge several years ago when her father found work more than 700km away in Sudbury, Ontario. Distance did not waver her friendship with Sydney-Mae and Amy however, as they explained that they continue to stay in contact with their friend through Facebook. Since Catherine feel ill last fall (2010) however, having received a diagnosis of Leukemia Christmas Day, the strain of distance has left the girls wanting to do more to support her in her battle against Leukemia “We felt bad and wanted to do something to help” said Amy and Sydney-Mae, in regards to their motivation for the bake sale.

Catherine’s mother, Julie North-Costello, explained that fundraisers have allowed herself and her husband to be by Catherine’s side as the 11 year old continues her very painful and frightening fight against Leukemia, a cancer which starts in the stem cells of the bone marrow that make blood cells and accounts for approximately 25% of childhood cancers in Canadian children*. The funds have allowed Pat and Julie to be at their daughter’s side while she receives medical treatment nearly 500km from their Sudbury home, at CHEO (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario) in Ottawa while she was hospitalized (for tests and treatments) and to stay with her at the Ronald McDonald Housebetween hospitalizations (these are unpredictable, Catherine is currently back in hospital); funds received by the Costello Family have assisted in paying their mortgage, household bills and truck payment (without which they could not be travelling back and forth to Ottawa) for the past 2 months.

Catherine’s battle is, very much, ongoing. Though doctors are trying to keep her ‘as comfortable as possible’ she has been living in constant pain for months. Currently Catherine is considered neutrapenic, this means her blood counts have dropped and she is susceptible to fevers and infections more so than before, if her blood counts do not stabilize by next week her chemotherapy treatments will need to be stopped in an effort to have her blood counts return to an acceptable level (doctors have advised this may take as much as another 2 weeks). Doctors have suggested that Catherine’s fight will continue for at least the next two years and her parents are very grateful for the help which is allowing them to be with her during this trying time.

Julie shared having had alot of anxiety when her husband first decided to take time off work to join her, by Catherine’s side in Ottawa but that when funds to assist them in making ends meet in the interim began to arrive “I could breathe again” said North-Costello explaining that “With all the help coming from people, we don’t have to worry about losing our home, or our truck […] and we can focus all our time and energy into our beautiful little girl”.

If you’d like to give, to help ensure Catherine’s parents can continue to stay with her through her battle with leukemia, the CIBC account into which donations can be deposited is: