Student With Leukemia Gets A Little Help From Her Friends

When Rebecca Brainerd’s friends found out she was sick, they wanted to do something to help.

So Jaime Marcucci, Pamela Masella and Aimee Ouellet started raising money to help with some of the costs of their pal's leukemia treatment by selling $2 plastic bracelets at East Haven High School.

The bracelets almost sold out in the first two days. The girls said they only have 30 bracelets left out of 300.

"We’re going to do whatever we can until she’s cancer-free," said Pamela.

Rebecca and her friends are all ninth-graders. Science teacher Steve Autieri, faculty advisor for the fundraisers, said Rebecca stands out as a high-academic achiever and athlete.

"She was recommended as student of the year for math," Autieri said.

Rebecca's family is very active at Our Lady of Pompeii Church, where she is an altar server, her mother, Lillian, is a eucharistic minister, and her father, Chip, is the Deputy Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus Council 11245.

The bracelets are two-tone, pink and orange. Jaime, Pamela and Aimee said pink is Rebecca’s favorite color, and orange is the color of leukemia awareness ribbons and bracelets.

The East Haven firefighters’ union donated $207 to buy some of the 300 bracelets for sale, which the girls started selling this past Monday at the entrance of the school library before school started.

"We only have about 30 left," Pamela said Tuesday morning during second period.

Pamela, Jaime and Aimee said the fund-raising started at school because they wanted to let other students who know Rebecca get involved.

Rebecca was diagnosed in May with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL. Her friends said they thought she expected to face the disease alone. They wanted to make sure she doesn’t feel that way.

Fund-raising efforts for Rebecca have gone far beyond just the sale of bracelets at the high school, and over the summer, fund-raising will involve the whole town.

The Friends of Rebecca Brainerd has gotten donations from the Rhode Island Pink Heels, a group of Rhode Island firefighters, and from the Health Occupation Students Association (HOSA).

On Aug. 13 (rain date: Aug. 14), the girls said the Foxon Rec League and the Knights of Columbus will sponsor a field day at Kennedy Field, also known as the Pit, on Maple Street.

They said the Friends of Rebecca Brainerd will sell bracelets, and there will be other fund-raising activities, such as batting competitions, face painting, food and a basketball tournament.

The girls are thinking ahead, long-term, because Rebecca’s leukemia treatment will take over two years. They said they hope to organize a fund-raising walk and a benefit concert on New Haven Green as events in the future.

As teenagers will, Rebecca’s friends are also using a "Team Becca" Facebook page to raise money, but the page is mostly a place where people can leave encouraging messages for her.

Aimee, Jaime and Pamela say they soon will have a website to assist their fund-raising directly, but in the meantime, people who want to donate may send them an email at helpingbecca@gmail.com.

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