The Cassiopeia Constellation Fund

Alena Vaccarino is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

If you go outside, when the sky is dark, and look to the north, you will see the constellation Cassiopeia; seven stars, in a familiar up and down pattern (a "W"), twinkling in the darkness. The constellation was named for a vain and boastful Queen in Greek Mythology, who was sentenced to hang upside down while brushing her hair atop her throne for eternity.

This GoFundMe, however, is to support a vastly different Cassiopeia.

This Cassi, as she's known by friends and family, is a New Year's Eve baby, born at the end of a century (Dec. 31,1999), to a family of simpler means.

She grew into a quiet beauty, rather reserved and soft spoken -- unlike her animated, overprotective older sister, or her studious, clever older brother -- but when the three of them were together, Cassi's humor and wit burned brightly.

An ace player on her school's tennis team, choir singer, and published artist, Cassi was growing brighter every day, intent on a career as an illustrator.

Until one day when Darkness took advantage of Cassi's light.

In April 2015, Cassi started feeling pain in her left hip. With it came increasing tiredness since she was kept up at night, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. But that didn't stop Cassi from attending early morning tennis lessons during summer break, or long school days with choir practices on top of homework, on top of tennis matches.

Yet neither did the darkness stop.

It kept growing until it surfaced as a lump in August 2015.

Then, on September 15th, 2015, after the doctors removed the malignant tumor that rested as a painless lump on her shoulder, Cassi was diagnosed with cancer. It would take a few days and a multitude of painful tests before the darkness had a name: Ewing's Sarcoma.

The second-most common teenage cancer, it attacks the soft tissue and bone and resides now in Cassi's left hip and lungs at an advanced stage.

This GoFundMe is to help Cassi and her family prepare for the long fight ahead... from medical expenses, transportation to and from the hospital for her treatments, and any other unexpected expenses not covered by insurance.

The ending is still unknown, so love, prayer, positive, happy thoughts are more than welcome.