Morristown Girl Diagnosed With Rare Cancer, Fundraiser Started

MORRISTOWN, NJ — The community is rallying around a 13-year-old Morristown girl following a life-changing cancer diagnosis.

A GoFundMe fundraiser website was started by family friend Gabriela Lorelli for Paige's cancer recovery. Paige lives in Morristown, with her mother, Stacey, and her two siblings.

The unfortunate discovery began when Paige began experiencing persistent headaches, leading to two doctor's visits and, eventually, a trip to the ER.

"Imagine the shock and heartbreak that Paige and her family felt when they heard the prognosis from the doctor," wrote Lorelli.

Paige was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), which is a rare type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

The road ahead, according to Lorelli, will be extremely difficult, as the following six months will require Paige to undergo intense inpatient chemotherapy treatments in the hospital.

The effects of this diagnosis are already clear, with Paige having lost some of her vision and experiencing visible pain. At the beginning of September, Paige underwent eye surgery to help her retain her vision, which was a success.

"Paige’s vision is back!! Albeit slightly blurry, the doctors think it will improve with time! She just finished her first round of chemo and although she has a long journey ahead, her family is confident she will get through this," wrote Lorelli.

Paige was sent to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for the first part of her treatment, but she was returned to Morristown this week to finish the rest of her chemotherapy treatments.

"She is anticipating an opportunity to return home for a week once she regains her strength and is no longer neutropenic and immunocompromised. She's currently in high spirits and feeling closer to her normal self. She is eager to reunite with her friends and enjoy a dinner out," said Lorelli.

The fundraiser will be used to help Paige's family with the medical and household expenses that will occur as she goes through her cancer treatments.

The GoFundMe has raised just over $40,000 since it was launched earlier this month. For more information or to donate, visit gofundme.com.