Thomas' Story

Thomas Cronin is a 12 1/2 year old boy about to enter his senior year of middle school at I.S. 34.  He lives in Staten Island, NY with his parents, Patrica and Tommy and his younger siblings, Sean and Julia. He is an avid Mets and Jets fan like his Dad and is an outgoing, loyal, respectful young man who loves to spend time with his extended family and his friends. Thomas is in the school strings band. He plays the cello.

About two months ago, Thomas broke his arm after being hit by a soccer ball during an afternoon of outdoor play.  He had a cast for six weeks, but after the cast was removed he continued to feel pain in his arm. His Mom noticed that he was extremely fatigued but thought it may have been due to the hot weather.  Shortly after, during a vacation in Florida, Thomas began to get excrutiating pains in both his legs.  Within a week, the pain became unbearable and had spread to his wrists.  Upon visiting the Orthopedic, the doctor became alarmed and immediately sent him for blood work.  Within 24 hours they recieved the devastating news that he has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).  He needed an emergency platelet transfussion and was immediately admitted to New York Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan.  In order to treat this horrible disease Thomas will undergo a minimum of 25 chemotherapy treatments over a two to three year period.  Thomas has  already begun his journey, receiving his first chemo treatment  the third week in June.

When your child has been diagnosed with cancer, the last thing you want to think about is the financial burden it will create for your family.  No parent should have to face the burden of a child with this disease and much worse the financial impact on their family.

Although they are well insured, their insurance plan will not cover everything.  Co-payments and deductibles will have to be paid in relation to Thomas' medication, physician visits, hospital stays and chemotherapy treatments.  In addition to medical expenses, there are other major costs in relation to facing the challenge of treating a child with Leukemia.  Transportation back and forth to the hospital can prove to be very costly.  Gas, tolls and parking to travel to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital will cost upwards of $55 per day.  There are also costs for food, child care and unpaid time off from work that are also going to have to be dealt with.

Many of you know the Cronin family and many of you do not...but know this, no matter what you contribute you will be helping ease the burden for this wonderful family.

Thomas In The News

Click the link below to see a nice article in The Staten Island Advance.  Unfortunately, they got his school and town wrong, but the good intention was there!

http://blog.silive.com/inside_out_column/2012/07/staten_island_campaign_against_leukemia.html

Other Ways You Can Help

If you know the family and you know Thomas, but can't make a donation, please pray for them and reach out to him on Facebook to wish him well.