Two Area Dads Team Up to Honor Kids, Fight Cancer
By Charity Apple, Times-News, Burlington, N.C.
Aug. 7–Trauma links the young lives of Leigha Martinelli and Mason Lindley.
While Leigha was at Duke University Medical Center battling neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer, Mason, 3 years old at the time, was beginning his own battle with injuries he sustained in a lawn mower accident.
Their dads, Steve Martinelli and Chuck Lindley, saw each other at various Elonthon events over the years; the dance-a-thon raises money for the Duke Children’s Hospital.
During these times, the men would discuss fundraising ideas. One of those was a concert to benefit neuroblastoma research.
Neuroblastoma is the most common type of cancer in infants. According to the Neuroblastoma Children’s Cancer Society, there are about 500 to 1,000 children diagnosed with the disease each year in the United States, and it accounts for 8 percent of all cancers but is responsible for 15 percent of deaths from childhood cancer.
Leigha, 13, is now in remission. Leigha met Mason at an Elonthon.
“She said that Mason influenced her life, inspired her,” Chuck said in a recent interview with the Times-News. Leigha, he said, gave money in memory of Mason to the Love Enough To Share program one Christmas.
Mason died May 11, 2005 at the age of 6.
He lived for three years following the lawn mower accident and earned the nickname “miracle child” from doctors at Duke University Medical Center. Chuck founded the Mason Lindley Miracle Foundation, a nonprofit organization, in memory of his son. After talking to Steve Martinelli, Chuck thought it was just natural to fund neuroblastoma cancer research in honor of Leigha.
Artists Shanna Maria and V.K. Lynne, two young artists who have become friends with the Lindleys, will perform an acoustic concert at 9:30 p.m. Friday at The Reel Cafe, 100 S. Front St., Wilmington. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Neuroblastoma Cancer Research Fund at Duke Children’s Hospital.
If folks here can’t make the trip to Wilmington, Chuck said they can still donate money to the research fund. Checks should be made payable to DUMC Account No.
3915208 Neuroblastoma and can be mailed to Neuroblastoma Research Fund, DUMC 3828, Durham, N.C. 27710.
For more information on neuroblastoma, visit www.neuroblastomacancer.org. For information on the Mason Lindley Miracle Foundation, click on the Web site: www.MasonLindleyMiracleFoundation.org.
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Copyright (c) 2007, Times-News, Burlington, N.C.
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