YOU ARE HERE: Central Kentucky Home→Collections→Leukemia

Danville teen's fight with leukemia inspires 'RELENTLESS' bracelet sales

August 30, 2005|EMILY TOADVINE

A lot of red bracelets with the message "RELENTLESS" have been popping up across town. They are being sold to support 16-year-old Patrick Barsotti, whose leukemia was diagnosed in September 2004. The word on the bracelet stands for "relentless for a cure."

His mother, Mary Ellen Barsotti, and her friend, Debbie Wagner, are selling the bracelets for an Oct. 8 Light the Night Walk in Lexington to raise money to fight blood cancers. Patrick is the honored hero for the event.

"We feel so passionately about this cause because of Patrick," Barsotti says. "It was an honor for them to ask him to be the honored hero for this event."

Barsotti says she initially ordered 400 of the bracelets, but probably will order more. The bracelets are selling for $2 each at Danville Bike and Footwear, Thoroughbred Threads, Blockbuster Video and at Boyle County High School soccer games.

"It's great because $1.40 of that goes toward the cause."

They also will have car magnets to sell for $5, and plan to have both items for sale at a booth at Historic Constitution Square Festival in September. The car magnets are red with the wording RELENTLESS and have the Light the Night logo.

Barsotti says when her son was taking chemotherapy, he often wore the "LIVESTRONG" bracelets popularized by Lance Armstrong.

"I think a lot of the kids started wearing those last year when Patrick first got sick."

Patrick initially was in the hospital for a month. He spent another six to eight weeks in hospital in the winter. His chemotherapy treatments required him to be there for five to six days at a time.

Now Patrick is undergoing the maintenance phase of his treatment and has returned to playing soccer, being kicker for football team, and will play baseball in the spring. He also drives his 14-year-old brother, Philip, to school.

"I think that's what got him through all his treatments, the goal of getting back to his friends and his activities," his mother says.

Barsotti says she thinks the bracelets are good for the goal of raising money for research.

"It's all the rage that if people want to rally behind a cause they can do it that way."

The walk will be at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at Courthouse Plaza. This year's goal is $20,000.

|

|

|