Middle School Students In Brooklyn Raise Money For Children Battling Serious Medical Conditions
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- What started as a school writing assignment for 60 middle school students in Brooklyn has transformed into a lesson in compassion.
CBS2's Cindy Hsu visited the World's Fair at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy in Gravesend, where sixth, seventh and eighth graders were raising money for four local children who are battling serious medical conditions.
Angelina is fighting leukemia, Julia and Josie are combating lyme disease and Giannia is battling a brain tumor.
What began as a persuasive writing lesson turned into a charity project. The students wrote hundreds of letters trying to persuade businesses to donate. They also started a GoFundMe page that's raised thousands of dollars.
"We raised money in the cafeteria by doing bake sales and different games," said eighth grader Michael Lustri.
They learned all about the children and their illnesses.
"I think before names like leukemia and lyme disease were just like distant echoes, and now it's like it's here and it's now," seventh grader Maria Chabanov said.
"I really want to raise awareness," sixth grader Maria Leone said.
The lesson of love is really taking off. Last year, the students raised about $4,000, and this year they expect to double that amount.
One of the recipients is 5-year-old Gianni Incandela. He had a brain tumor removed when he was four years old, underwent two surgeries and weeks of radiation. He's also completely blind in one eye, but he never lost his sense of humor.
"Every day he would tell everybody jokes. That was his thing, and he would challenge the nurses and doctors to tell jokes," his mother, Kelly, said.
On Friday, the students will hold a big fundraiser and meet the recipients for the first time.
When asked what Gianni will say to the students he replied, "they can give the money to our people that are sick because it's very thoughtful of them."
He said the big thing he wants to do at the fundraiser is dance.
Doctors don't know if he'll ever regain his sight, and he'll need an MRI every three months to make sure the brain tumor hasn't come back. But his parents say he's a little fighter with a big personality.
