Benefit Planned for Teen Battling Cancer for a 3rd Time

Nick LaBarbara has battled cancer most of his young life. And the 13-year-old now faces another fight.

The son of Land O’ Lakes High media specialist Lina LaBarbara was treated for leukemia at 15 months old. At age 6, he went into remission, undergoing treatment yet again.  Now, the teen now has brain tumors as a result of those treatments, Team Nick Pasco co-organizer Tanya Fuss said.

Those tumors will require two more years of chemotherapy, she said.

LaBarbara worked at Gulf High for about 13 years before transferring to Land O’ Lakes a few years ago, Fuss said. And though she’s no longer at Gulf,  the LaBarbara family remains in the hearts of Fuss and the Gulf High staff.

‘We’re family,” Fuss said.

Along with Fuss, several Gulf High staff members have organized a benefit for Nick at the Wilderness Lake Beef ‘O’ Brady’s to be held from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29.

The evening will include performances by Public Ed and Stone Grey, an all-LOLHS student band, as well as a silent auction.

Ten percent of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s proceeds from the event will be donated to Nick’s Trust account, along with 100 percent of the silent auction proceeds.

The funds will help the LaBarbara family with their medical expenses, which are hefty, Fuss said.

“They’re lucky that they do have insurance,” but it doesn’t cover everything, Fuss said. ‘We’re trying to help them not have to worry about the finances as much.”

The family is traveling this week to explore treatment options for Nick, so they won’t be attending Saturday’s event, however, they do plan to Skype in and say hello to everyone, Fuss said.

The community has really come out to support the family. It helps to know they are not alone in this, Fuss said.

If you can’t attend and would like to make a donation, you can stop into any SunTrust Bank in Florida and make a deposit to the Nick LaBarbara Irrevocable Fund.

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