Cousins Turn Loss Into Way To Help Others In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and one local family is turning the devastating loss of their beloved aunt into a way to help other cancer patients.
Carol Pirolli was a longtime ER nurse, before being diagnosed with breast cancer. Just before her death, her 20 nieces and nephews wanted to do something to honor her spirit.
"We put together a little 5K race, and ended up raising some money that we ended up donating to Fox Chase Cancer Center because that's where she was treated," says her neice, Maria Visco.
Visco says Carol died a short time later in 2014:
"We decided to just kind of keep the momentum going, and honor her. Keep her memory alive by actually starting our own non-profit."
Visco is now chair of Cousins for Carol, a non-profit which raises money to benefit other patients with metastatic cancer.
"They will go ahead and submit the bills that need to be paid, and we just pay them directly," explains Visco
Their website is host to additional resources for cancer patients and families looking for extra help.
