Patient of the Week – Victoria Caileanu

By St. Jude
November 4, 2009

Victoria Caileanu
4 years old

 

Diagnosis:

Victoria was found to suffer from Burkitt lymphoma in August 2008.

Victoria’s Story:

When little Victoria lost a drastic amount of weight—10 pounds in less than two weeks—her mother, Mariya, was terribly worried. Victoria’s skin began to turn yellow and she complained her stomach hurt. Mariya rushed her daughter to a doctor, and tests revealed devastating news: Victoria had a tumor in her abdomen.

Mariya was shocked to learn her little girl had cancer. “I almost had a heart attack,” she remembered. “My heart was hurting really bad.” The doctor advised that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital offered the best treatment and care for pediatric cancer and provided a referral. The hospital was 300 miles away, but if they drove all night, she could be there by morning.

At St. Jude:

Victoria quickly began receiving chemotherapy to destroy the enormous mass. Today, tests indicate that there are no more tumor cells in her body.

Victoria is home again—and back to her happy self. She likes to run, wrestle with her siblings, pose for pictures and swing on the swing set. She also loves coloring and puzzles. Now that Victoria is feeling better, the family is eager to give back. “St. Jude helped us so much, and we paid nothing,” said Mariya. “For a family without a big income, a hospital like this is really important.”

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: St. Jude

Soldier of the Week – Army Sgt. 1st Class James Brasher

by Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
November 5, 2009

Editor’s Note:
Home State: Albuquerque, NM
Awarded: Silver Star

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Army Sgt. 1st Class James Brasher’s “daring acts of intrepidity and gallantry in the face of a numerically superior and determined force,” have earned him a Silver Star according to the citation that accompanied the medal.

Those courageous acts occurred on Dec. 8, 2007, when Brasher was serving as platoon sergeant for 2nd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The company had been tasked to participate in Operation Mar Kararadad, during which Brasher repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to keep his soldiers out of danger.

The multinational mission to clear insurgents from the Taliban stronghold of Musa Qal’eh, actually began the night before when the company landed by helicopter just outside of the city. Under cover of darkness the soldiers moved to occupy a hill overlooking the city.

At dawn, Company A started taking small-arms and heavy machine-gun fire from a small town at the base of the hill. Brasher and the 2nd Platoon leader decided the town, which was isolated from the rest of Musa Qal’eh by a dry riverbed and already scheduled to be cleared by the Platoon, should be cleared immediately.

As the soldiers began systematically clearing buildings, a Taliban fighter attempted to the lead squad, which included Brasher. He killed the gunman before he could kill or injure any Paratroopers.

The squad began taking small-arms as it advanced to the next compound. Again, Brasher reacted, throwing fragmentation grenades toward the enemy position, thereby suppressing the attack and preventing the enemy from getting a fix on the soldiers’ position.

When the platoon leader’s element was attacked with machine-gun fire and rocket-propelled-grenades, Brasher joined the group to pinpoint the enemy position, once again exposing himself to enemy fire.

Brasher then led a squad to clear a compound that put him and his soldiers in a better position to return fire. As he was directing the Paratroopers, he spotted a Taliban fighter with a machine gun and opened fire. He then led his squad over a mud wall in pursuit of the fleeing insurgent, killing two more gunmen as the squad rounded the corner. When the squad encountered a larger enemy force more insurgents were killed.

As the Taliban forces consolidated into a highly defensible compound with thick walls, Brasher spotted the enemy positions inside and began engaging them. That’s when one of the insurgent’s bullets tore through his right forearm and bicep, which slowed him down, but didn’t stop him from fighting and giving instructions, according to the citation. In fact, the unit’s medics had to force him to submit to medical care.

“SFC Brasher’s fearless actions and dedication to mission accomplishment enabled Second Platoon to destroy over 20 well-trained Taliban fighters. His quick decisions and aggressive stance against the enemy saved the lives of his men,” the citation reads.

For his gallantry in action with marked distinction, Army Maj. Gen. Curtis M. Scarparrotti, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division presented Brasher with a Silver Star on October 9. The ceremony was held at the 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Source: Our Military

Officer of the Week – Police Officer John W. Perry

 
Remember September 11, 2001
Angels Among Us

Police Officer John W. Perry
Shield 3266
40 Precinct
(recovered)
2/7/2002

 

 

 

 

by Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
November 5, 2009

Police Officer John W. Perry
Shield 3266
40 Precinct
(recovered)

John Perry knew he had only one life to live, and so he immersed himself in many.

He was a New York City police officer, a lawyer, an actor, a linguist, an active libertarian, a social worker helping abused children, a philosopher searching for his religion, and a softhearted soul who opened his wallet and his home to near strangers.

“He was the kind of person who enjoyed life,” said his mother, Patricia Perry of Seaford. “He was a libertarian who thought some rules weren’t necessary. Whatever he believed in, he followed.”

Perry, 38, was last seen helping a woman out of a trade center tower when it collapsed on Sept. 11. His original mission that morning had been to turn in his badge, file his retirement papers and embark on a new career. Instead, he retrieved the badge and rushed off with fellow officers to help evacuate people from the towers.

“Apparently John was too slow carrying this woman,” said Arnold Wachtel, Perry’s close friend. “But knowing John, he would never leave that lady unattended. That was just like him to help people.”

Perry’s generosity was boundless. His two-bedroom apartment in a public housing complex near Lincoln Center was known as a free bed and breakfast. Vladimir Azbel, a longtime friend, said he once called Perry because he had $1,700 in parking tickets. “He said, ‘Yeah, don’t worry. Just don’t get anymore tickets,'” Azbel said. “Later on I found out that he just paid them.”

Perry was diagnosed with a learning disability in the first grade and only learned to tie his shoes and read by the age of 9. But he overcame those difficulties. His love affair with learning foreign languages was sparked in the eighth grade when he began studying French.

He was outgoing, unafraid to approach a native speaker and attempt to speak the language, said his mother. The list of languages he spoke included Spanish, Swedish, Russian and Portuguese.

Perry studied law at New York University Law School, practiced immigration law with a friend after graduating and then went to the police academy. Eventually, he took a position investigating and disciplining police officers’ minor infractions.

In his spare time, Perry took parts as an extra in movies and TV shows such as “NYPD Blue.” He volunteered as an investigator for the Kings County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. He also was a board member of the Nassau Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

“At board meetings … he sort of out libertarianed us,” executive director Barbara Bernstein said. “If someone thought it wasn’t the right timing or [a case] wasn’t winnable, he was an idealist. He made us justify what we were doing.”

Perry also had explored many religions, attending various services and reading about each extensively. He was converting to Judaism and often attended the Actors Temple in midtown Manhattan, where Rabbi Noach Valley talked about Perry for his Rosh Hashanah sermon days after the tragedy. “He was never bored, because his life was brim-full of holy service to others,” Noach told his congregations. “Here was a onetime atheist living a life of kedushah, of closeness to God.”

– New York Newsday Victim Database 2/7/2002

Source: NYP Angels

Firefighter of the week – Dep. Chief SOC Charles L. Kasper

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
November 3, 2009

Granddaddy’s Trains.

Last year at Christmastime, Deputy Chief Charles L. Kasper of the Fire Department’s Special Operations Command went out and bought a set of trains.

They were not for his 425-person division, which races to the scene whenever there is a major catastrophe and already owns a huge collection of red-painted fire trucks, fireboats and other exciting toys for grown-ups. No, they were for his grandson, but when the chief linked the track pieces into a circle and sent the locomotive huffing and whistling around it, Dylan, then only 7 months old, was too young to appreciate the spectacle.

Never mind, thought Chief Kasper. There’s always next year.

On Sept. 11, the 54-year-old veteran of dozens of rescues was having a day off when he heard about the World Trade Center attacks. He scrambled into a spare fire engine parked near his home in Staten Island and sped to the towers. He had a motto: “Drive it like it’s stolen,” recalled Jim Ellson, a retired captain.

Recently Chief Kasper’s wife, Laureen, and their children unpacked the trains, set them up the same way he had and watched while Dylan reacted with delight. “We say that he’s playing with Granddaddy,” who was “always on duty for his family,” Mrs. Kasper said. “And we know that Charlie’s circle will always encircle us.”
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 9, 2001.

KASPER-Charles L. Deputy Chief, F.D.N.Y. Beloved husband of Laureen. Devoted father of Melissa and Mark Friedman, Kara Kasper and Michael. Adoring ”Granddaddy” to Dylan Friedman. A 28 year veteran of the F.D.N.Y. Recently promoted to Deputy Chief. He reported in from his home the morning of the World Trade Center disaster. Chief Kasper arrived at the Command Post prior to the collapse. He was last seen directing Fire Operations in the North Tower. There will be a memorial service in his honor on Friday September 28, 2001 at the Veterans Memorial Hall, 1000 Richmond Terrace at Snug Harbor on Staten Island.

Paid notice published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on September 26, 2001.

Source Legacy

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Firefighter of the week – Battalion Chief Battalion 49 Joseph Grzelak

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/GCC
October 28, 2009

Firefighting With Research

Around the firehouse, they called him Joe Knows. The chief of Battalion 48 in Brooklyn, Joseph Grzelak had been fighting fires for 28 years and memorizing trivia for even longer. During slow shifts he could be found at his computer, researching everything from home repair to bowling strategies. He was a history buff who read two newspapers a day, breezed through crossword puzzles and answered all manner of arcane questions for friends and colleagues (hence the nickname).

“We encouraged him to try out for ‘Jeopardy,'” Chief Grzelak’s wife, Joanne, said. “He’d watch it, and most of the time he was right on the money.”

Chief Grzelak, 52, had a mathematical mind that benefited the men he supervised. “He was very rational about fighting fires,” Mrs. Grzelak said. “When the younger guys would ask him how to approach a certain situation, he always came up with the best advice.”

When he raced to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, Chief Grzelak took a binder full of research he had compiled over the years about fighting high-rise fires. It was found, Mrs. Grzelak said, in his crushed car.
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 13, 2001.

BATTALION CHIEF JOSEPH GRZELAK, 52, of New York, was in a bowling alley in 1970 when he saw a woman and told his friends he would get a date with her. He did better than that #8211 the two were eventually married. Grzelak, a Vietnam veteran, began his career with the New York Fire Department in 1973. “I didn’t just lose my husband that day,” Joanne Grzelak said. “I lost my best friend.” Grzelak had earned citations for lifesaving heroics during his career. A trivia buff, he even earned the nickname “Joe Knows” from his fellow firefighters. “He was the perfect combination of a father and a friend,” said his daughter Debra Grzelak.

Copyright © 2001 The Associated Press

Source Legacy

Wish of the week – Jordan

By MWF/PIO
October 28, 2009

Source Make A Wish Foundation

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

Officer of the Week – Police Officer Brian G. McDonnell

 
Remember September 11, 2001
Angels Among Us

Police Officer Brian G. McDonnell
Shield 6889
ESU-1
9/15/2001

Police Officer Brian G. McDonnell
Shield 6889
ESU-1

Police officer Brian McDonnell wanted to change the world, and he’d do anything to save a life. A member of New York City’s emergency service unit, his squad was among the first to respond to the World Trade Center disaster Tuesday.

“He thought about others before himself,” said Glenn Gering, a close friend who grew up with McDonnell, 38, in Wantagh. “He wanted to change the world,” Gering said.

The Emergency Service Unit is made up of about 350 men and women who risk their lives to save others. Fourteen members of the unit are unaccounted for.

McDonnell, who has been a police officer for more than 10 years and was a member of the armed forces before that, is a devoted husband and father of two, Gering said.

McDonnell was supposed to go to Gering’s house tomorrow for cake and coffee. “Unfortunately, because of our schedules, we didn’t get together as often as we would have liked,” Gering said.

“I hope all of America will never forget this horrific act of terror,” Gering said in a letter to Newsday, vand more importantly, never forget my friend, Brian McDonnell, an American hero.”

– New York Newsday Victim Database 9/15/2001

Source: NYP Angels

Patient of the Week – Tony Cain

By St. Jude
October 27, 2009

Tony Cain
7 years old

Diagnosis:

Tony was found to suffer from Ewing sarcoma in July 2007.

 

Tony’s Story:

When 6-year-old Tony developed a limp and later hurt his leg while roughhousing, his family never imagined cancer was the root of these problems. During a family vacation to Florida, Tony slipped in a puddle of water and began limping. He assured his parents he wasn’t hurt, but they noticed that Tony continued to limp even after the family had returned home. A month later while jumping on his bed, Tony fell and hurt his leg.

“He didn’t sleep at all that night,” Tony’s mother said. “He said his leg hurt and he cried.” When Tony’s pain continued into the next day, she took him to the doctor. An X-ray revealed devastating news: Tony had a tumor. His pediatrician referred the family to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital right away. “I was in disbelief, I didn’t know what to think,” Tony’s mom said. “It all happened so quickly.”

At St. Jude:

As soon as the family arrived at St. Jude, they felt at ease. “We walked in the doors and my tears just stopped,” his mom said. “We saw kids playing and nobody looked sad.” St. Jude doctors found Tony suffered from Ewing sarcoma, a cancer of the bone and soft tissue.

Tony underwent five rounds of chemotherapy, followed by surgery to remove the tumor and part of his pelvis affected by the tumor. He then received 12 more rounds of chemotherapy. Tony also received physical and occupational therapies to help him regain strength. He now returns to St. Jude every three months for checkups.

Tony’s mom is thankful for all that St. Jude has provided for her family during this difficult time. Aside from Tony’s treatment and care, St. Jude provided housing, meals and transportation for him and one family member, as well as activities like arts and crafts projects to keep Tony and his sister, Alexis, occupied. The family is grateful, too, for the donors who help support St. Jude. “There’s no way we could have done it on our own,” his mom said.

Tony is in second grade. His favorite subject is reading, and each week he brings home a stack of books to read. Tony also likes to play outside with the neighborhood kids. “He gets tired a lot faster,” Tony’s mom said, “but Tony does his best to keep up with the kids. He still runs with them.”

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

Source St. Jude

Soldier of the Week – USMC Lt. Col. Brian M. Kennedy

By Brian J Arthurs
Investor’s Business Daily
October 26, 2009

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

Challenges hit the Marines ahead of the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

Many, like Brian Kennedy, had just traveled from Camp Lejeune, N.C., to Kuwait.

In his case, he had gone by sea along with the Cobra helicopter he would pilot. When he reached the Persian Gulf, he faced harsh weather and other conditions he couldn’t replicate in prewar training.

For Kennedy and his fellow Marines, they would need bravery and a commitment to purpose.

Kennedy, a major at the time, was among the first to fire on the Iraq War’s opening day. He piloted his Cobra in support of the Marines advancing through safe lines identified on the ground to avoid land mines set by the enemy.

“The weather conditions were very challenging,” said Kennedy, now a lieutenant colonel. “The wind-swept sand floated in the air, making the sky and the ground the same color.”

As ground forces advanced on enemy targets from March 20 to April 14, 2003, Kennedy and his team of Cobras targeted enemy weapons installations.

On March 20’s start of the war, plans called for Kennedy to lead four Cobras in support of a nighttime mission. But plans changed.

The word came down for Kennedy and his team to get airborne and provide cover before dark. Flying at dusk meant the night-vision gear would be less effective. Now the pilots had to follow chopper instruments to guide them at dangerously low levels in poor visibility.

Fog Of War

The view was so poor, the helicopters had to turn on their exterior lights to make them visible to one another — and to the enemy.

“We were facing mostly small-arms fire, anti-aircraft fire,” Kennedy told IBD. “But we also saw some RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) that looked like flying roman candles through night vision and (also looked like) a surface-to-air missile, but mostly machine guns.”

Kennedy recalls that for all the artillery fired his way, the biggest threat that night wasn’t Iraqi forces, but the possibility of running into the ground or another Cobra.

“Night One was undoubtedly the worst conditions I’ve ever flown in,” he said.

Despite the challenges, the Marines achieved their objective.

Three days later, Kennedy embarked on a mission that would last 12 hours. He led his section over a battlefield near the Rumaylah oil field, just across the border from Kuwait, that the Iraqis defended with artillery and small-arms fire.

The Cobras had to cut through haze because of oil smoke and burning Iraqi equipment. Kennedy flew two hours at a time, returning to base camp only to resupply and refuel. He never left the cockpit.

“You’re just not thinking about the time it takes to refuel and re-equip,” said Kennedy. “(There’s) no way you’re going to say no to a mission and let down a fellow Marine on the ground trying to find his way through a breach in the minefields. We pushed the limits to make sure we helped our fellow Marines on the ground.”

Again, Marine forces advanced in these crucial opening days.

Teamwork was crucial to more Kennedy success in battle. On March 28, he and his team provided invaluable support to their allies.

While the British army’s 7th Armored Brigade maneuvered to take Basra, Kennedy and other U.S. air support forces engaged Iraqi troops, again from low altitude in minimal visibility. The combined effort helped the coalition prevail.

Kennedy kept coming. According to his fellow servicemen, his flights decimated eight artillery positions and an enormous artillery stash.

The biggest hits landed on April 5. Kennedy and his team destroyed the Iraqis’ last remaining ballistic missile system. These systems had the capability of delivering chemical weapons against allied forces stationed in Kuwait.

This mission was especially harrowing. If flying at night and through smoke from burning oil fields wasn’t bad enough, Kennedy had to pilot his Cobra at just 300 feet so he could see the ground. Then there were surrounding tension wires suspended at 500 feet.

“We flew on instruments only while we were (higher) in the smoke clouds,” Kennedy said. “And when we knew we were clear of the wires, we would drop straight down in order to see the city so we could prosecute the targets.”

His fellow Marines were impressed by Kennedy’s cool and attention to detail. “He never tried to do too much,” said his co-pilot, Capt. Dennis Pyszczymuka. “He always spent the time needed to prepare in advance for his missions. He was very proactive. He always wanted to know what you had to say. He wouldn’t just make a snap decision, even when it was his to make.”

For his heroics, Kennedy received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor, a top military honor.

“What impressed me most about (Lt. Col.) Kennedy was his calm demeanor,” said Maj. Lee Mayer, who piloted another Cobra in the section. “He never let the rush of combat affect his judgment. He always did the right thing.”

Kennedy served another tour in Iraq in 2005. By then, the enemy had morphed from an organized military force into one of terrorists often hiding in the shadows.

He says it made for a significant tactical change for the Marines. Rather than having direct engagements, combat required more intelligence gathering to root out an enemy trying to blend in with the citizenry.

College And Corps

Kennedy, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1989 after graduating from Ohio State University. He was eager to try something difficult, where the outcome “was not preordained.”

His interest in aviation had been piqued at an early age. He worked at an airport with his dad, doing everything from pumping gas to washing planes and cutting grass runways.

When Kennedy entered flight school in 1990, Desert Storm was on the horizon. He says he selected the Cobra because it seemed like the most rewarding mission.

Now 43 and near his 20th year in the Marines, Kennedy is the executive officer of Marine Aircraft Group 39 at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He’s passing along his knowledge to the Marines’ new aviators.

Kennedy’s Keys

• Bravely led a team of four Cobra helicopters supporting Marine forces in the opening days of the Iraq War, battling the enemy and harsh weather, smoke and fire.

• “Calm, like panic, is contagious. Stay calm.”

Source: Investors

Wish of the week – Paul

By MWF/PIO
October 25, 2009

Source Make A Wish Foundation

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

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