Article from Savannah Morning News

This was in the sports section this morning. It's so cute to me because it is totally a "daddy quoted, sports article about Cora." Go Warriors. Pictures of the game to come! Click the title above to see the original article!


Games double as fundraiser for coach's sick daughter
Rich McGowan | Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 12:30 am

Cora Garola (Photo: Savannah Morning News)




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Cora Garola has bad guys in her blood.

At least that's what her parents, Rob and Amanda, tell her to explain why she has to go to the hospital for tests and treatments.

Last November, 2 1/2-year-old Cora was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells - the cells in the body that normally fight infections.

Today the Jenkins Baseball Booster Club is holding a fundraiser for Cora as the Warriors (12-1l) host Calvary Day (11-3). The doubleheader begins with the junior varsity game at 11 a.m., and the varsity starts at approximately 1 p.m. Rob Garola is the Warriors' pitching coach and a math teacher at Jenkins.

Though Cora's illness is currently in remission, she still has to go through treatments of chemotherapy and countless blood tests.

"She knows there's something wrong," Rob Garola said. "At first, she was wondering why we kept taking her to the hospital and we told her, 'You have bad guys in your blood and we have to get rid of them.' And she's like, 'OK. Did you get rid of the bad guys?'

"She had an idea, but I don't think she understands how severe the problem is."

Though she must go through grueling chemotherapy treatments, the silver lining is children respond better to chemo than adults. Children can withstand a higher dosage compared to their body weight than adults can and have an about 85 percent survival rate, according to the National Cancer Institute. And though Rob Garola said Cora is "low risk" for her cancer to return, she will still be receiving chemotherapy treatments for another two years.

"She still has the nausea and she doesn't want to do it," Rob said of her treatments. "And she has a port in her chest, and she always has to get poked and have blood drawn and she doesn't like that."

Before she was diagnosed, Rob said Cora suffered from numerous ear infections and an occasional fever, "just like any child would have a fever and you'd think they would have a cold."

But after another ear infection, the Garola's were told the news that their daughter had leukemia.

"At first when you hear the word cancer, you think the worst," Rob said. "But now that we've learned a little bit about it and we know she can live with it, hopefully she can cure herself ... It's looking real good."

But caring for Cora hasn't been easy. Her mother, Amanda, left her job as a first-grade teacher at Savannah Christian. It's also meant Cora's 5-year-old brother, Cade, has had to sacrifice some of his parents' attention.

"He's a good brother and he's done a lot to help her out," Rob said. "He knows the situation. He made a couple comments early on like, 'Is she going to die?' So he knows the severity and he's been really good."

All proceeds from today's games from the admission gate, concession sales and raffles, money that ordinarily would go to the booster club's fund, will go to Cora's family to help offset her medical costs.

"It helps teach the boys that there are some things more important than baseball," said booster club president Jeff Carey. "We got a great group of kids and parents and it's turning out to be a real good day for us."

A large number of raffle items include several gift certificates to local restaurants, restaurants in Hilton Head, including Sea Pines Resort, and a pass for four for a round of golf at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Carey said the raffle items will drawn between innings of the varsity game.

"The whole community has been outstanding. Everybody has pitched in," Rob Garola said. "I know (Calvary's) people have sent e-mails around the school. It's everywhere and it's amazing."


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IF YOU GO

What: Cora Garola Day, a benefit to raise money for 2 ?-year-old Cora Garola, battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Where: Jenkins baseball field during JV/varsity doubleheader between Jenkins and Calvary Day.

When: Today, junior varsity game at 11 a.m.; varsity at 1 p.m.