$5K Raised to Help Sayville Teen Battling Cancer

In just a little over two weeks a Sayville girl has helped raise $5,000 to ease her family's medical bills stemming from her brother's valiant battle against brain cancer.

Christie Visone is running the fundraising effort on GoFundMe, a crowdfunding website, and is sharing the story of how her brother, Joey, is fighting Glioblastoma Multiform brain cancer after being diagnosed a year ago.

As she relates Joey's illness has sidelined him from what he loves most, playing sports for Sayville teams, and how her mother is struggling to take care of Joey as well as keep working to pay the increasing bills.

Hi there,

My name is Christie Visone, the sister of the greatest kid i've ever known. My extremely lovable, caring, and athletic brother Joey was diagnosed last April at the age of 15 with Glioblastoma Multiform Brain Cancer. Joey played on Sayville Varsity Football, and many baseball teams since he was 5 years old. Unfortunately, the way the tumor lays, Joey lost function of his left arm and leg. Not being able to play with his football "brothers" this season is the hardest battle of all in his eyes.

Our mom Tina is a single mom who worked two jobs before Joey got sick and now had to cut it down to one job in order to be around for him. Not to mention her second job fired her back in April when she had to take time off to stay in NYC with Joey. How do we make it financially? With my moms determination to never fail, Joey's positive attitude, financial help from family and friends, we get by...but barely. Joeys medical bills are outrageous as i'm sure you could imagine after 33 radiation treatments, chemotherapy, and countless hospitalizations. When it comes to my brothers health, I want the best of the best to treat him. It makes me sick thinking all the celebs have the best chance at conquering cancer...why? Money. Money means nothing to me as long as I have my health, as well as my brother and mother. In this case, money can save a life.

Joey would do anything for anybody, at the drop of a hat. Anybody who gets the chance to meet him is lucky because he will touch your life and make you feel like you are so important, so wanted, and so loved. Joey will be the change you want to see in the world, I promise that.