Community Raises Over $49K To Help Family Of Girl With Cancer

KINGS PARK, NY - A fundraising campaign was recently started on behalf of a young Kings Park girl who was diagnosed with cancer this month.

The campaign on the fundraising website GoFundMe, created to help Katelyn Gregorie, has already raised $49,200 to help her family.

According to the page, created by the cousin of Katelyn's mother, Maureen Keaveny, on Dec. 1, it was discovered that Katelyn had a mass on her brain and that mass was leaking fluid.

Her parents, Susan and Devin Gregorie, were informed that she would need to undergo emergency brain surgery to remove the tumor.

The following day, a team of neurosurgeons at Cohen’s Children’s Hospital removed a sizable tumor during a 5 and a half hour surgery.

"As to be expected from our feisty girl, she came through the surgery beautifully," Keaveny wrote on the page. "It was with hopeful hearts that the family and those closest to her prayed that the surgery would be the toughest part of her journey. Unfortunately, following the agonizing wait for pathology results, Sue and Devin were given the news that the tumor is in fact cancerous."

Now, Katelyn has to undergo 6 weeks of radiation to remove the tumor, called Anaplastic Ependymoma.

"I wanted to start this fundraising campaign because when bad things happen to those you love, you find yourself feeling very helpless," Keaveny told Patch. "In this situation there is not a lot any of us can do to change the circumstances or outcomes. The thing we do have control over is how we can support them through this fight. For me, starting this page for Katelyn gave me a place to direct all of my nervous energy."

The goal of the page is to raise a total of $60,000 to help the family. The money raised on the page as well as through t-shirt sales for "Katelyn's Krusaders," will go towards paying for Katelyn's treatment or to help offset any loss income as a result of her parents taking time off work to help Katelyn.

"We have a large and supportive family so I knew a lot of people wanted to help in some way and this was a way to coordinate all of those helpers I knew were out there," Keaveny said. "If this can ease any of their burden and allow them to focus their efforts on Katelyn's care and taking care of her 3 year old sister Ava instead of worrying about finances, then we did our job."

With the page is already over halfway past the goal after about 2 weeks, Keaveny says the goal might be adjusted as the treatment plan evolves.

"The fact that we have raised such a significant amount of money so quickly is a direct reflection of the love that's out there for the Gregorie family and the type of people Sue and Devin are," she said. "Someone once told me that good always finds good and right now we are witnessing that. good people are coming together to help good people."

To read more or to donate, visit the GoFundMe page here.

Photo: GoFundMe.com/Katelyn's Krusaders