Light The Night

Team Angel’s Wings is a new Friends of Heroes affiliate, but they are not new to Light The Night or blood cancers. National Co-captain Jenn Burgess interviewed Helen Bailey, captain of Angel’s Wings to find out more about why they participate in Light The Night.

Angel Marie

Can you tell us a little bit about how your team Angel’s Wings started?

My son, James Rodriguez, had a friend/classmate whose younger sister, Angel, developed leukemia. Angel’s mother asked for donations, help and support for Light The Night, so I decided to get a team together of James’s classmates to help.

Two years later, my mother Estela Bailey was diagnosed with non Hodgkins lymphoma. And, a grandparent of one of our walkers was also diagnosed with cancer, so I decided to keep the team going in their honor.

How are Angel and your mom doing today post-treatment?

Angel is doing great! She was the honored hero for last year’s Light The Night walk and is now in first grade. Angel only needs to visit the clinic for treatment every six months (instead of every day!) which allows her to live a “normal” life. Due to additional complications, doctors did not share hope that she would make it this far. We’re thrilled that she proved the doctors wrong!

My mom is back to being a mom! I am grateful she is doing well and here to watch my kids and grandkids grow up.

It’s so good to hear they are doing well!! Events like Light The Night fund blood cancer research and helps families through patient services programs. Survival rates have increased dramatically in the past 30 years, yet a cure is still needed.

Let’s talk about Light The Night! What made you decide to become a part of FOH as an affiliate?

A new co-worker (Jenn) invited me to a local baseball game which was a fundraising and awareness event for Light The Night. She told me about her team, Friends of Heroes, so I looked up their website and between what I read about the pediatric cancer research grants and the excitement she showed about their success stories and fundraising, I decided to join her team as an affiliate.

Please share a little bit about your planning leading up to the walk. What are your plans for team fundraising this year? Is there anything that worked well in the past?

I am trying to recruit as many members as possible at work and school, plus friends and family. I want to get everyone together for a meeting to decided other ways to raise money like making pins, buttons, ribbons, etc. to sell. Maybe hold a car wash, bake sale, etc.

I also have the help of my daughter, Nicole Bustinza, as a co-captain. She is able to run errands, deliver walker information and pick up donations when I’m at work. Together, we are able to reach more people.

You’re good at recruiting and motivating people. What do you say to encourage people to walk and raise money for Light The Night?

I tell them that participating in this walk may one day help save the lives of their children, family or friends like it did for Angel and my mom. What cause could be better?

When someone asks you what Light The Night means to you, what do you tell them?

It gives me the opportunity to help save lives!

Helen, thanks so much for sharing more about your team and what you are doing this year. Is there anything else you would like to add?

I think since so many children have been afflicted by this disease, we should target schools to help.

Well said! The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has a priority to help young patients and has initiated the Trish Greene Back to School Program for the Child with Cancer. The program is designed to help parents, teachers and administrators when a child in their school has cancer. Programs like these can help schools and care givers provide the best possible chance for pediatric patients to renter their schools and succeed.

To donate to or join Helen and her team, visit Team Angel’s Wings.

Check out the photos from the baseball game fundraiser and awareness event. Walkers who purchased tickets walked onto the field with the twinkling lights. For each ticket purchased, $5 was donated directly back to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. To plan a similar event in your city, contact the Community Relations Manager for your local ball club. (Mouseover the sides of the large photo to navigate.)

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