RIP
Rest In Peace, Michele LaPlaca, who passed onto a bigger and better life on 3 June 2007. She left behind three beautiful children all under the age of seven and a devoted husband whom she has been with since they were thirteen years old.
It would be silly to call Michele a friend of mine, because Michele was actually a co-worker at the insurance firm that my father used to work for. Because of the age difference, (Michele was about five years older than me) Dad always used to say she was his "other daughter." In turn, Michele would always joke around whenever I dropped by the office to visit Daddy.
Michele LaPlaca was diagnosed with Melanoma on the front part of her calf back in November 2002, a little over one year after her first daughter Samantha was born. With Melanoma being the most serious of skin cancers, she had chosen Memorial Sloan-Kettering knowing she would be in good hands. Her doctor removed the tumor from her leg and she was on her way to a quick recovery.
Unfortunately, in July 2006, Michele was faced once again with a reocurrence in the same spot and had it surgically removed. This was a little over one year after her first son Jake was born. Knowing that she was then pregnant with her third child they decided to wait on any kind of treatment until after the baby was born. When she was around 6 months pregnant she was undergoing multiple tests to see if there was more than four tumors and if it had spread to any other major organs.
Fortunately it did not spread to any other organs, but unfortunately she had 10 small tumors on her brain. With the trust and belief of her team of doctors, she decided to go forward with treatment and start Whole Brain Radiation. Michele was transfered to New York Presbyterian Hospital to get the best care for her unborn baby while going back to Sloan for her radiation. The game plan was: radiation for 15 days, delivery of the baby at 32 weeks and proceed with Chemotherapy. She delivered Anabelle, her last child, around Christmastime and hasn't been out of the hospital that I know of, since.
Despite all of her discomfort and pain and suffering, she still had that Michele glow that I always loved in her. I remember her from when she was healthy, and it's really so hard to believe that she's gone. I ask you, my friends, to keep the LaPlaca family in your thoughts and prayers - and remember those three gorgeous children who will grow up not knowing or remembering Michele for the bubbly personality and beautiful person she was.
-SC.
It would be silly to call Michele a friend of mine, because Michele was actually a co-worker at the insurance firm that my father used to work for. Because of the age difference, (Michele was about five years older than me) Dad always used to say she was his "other daughter." In turn, Michele would always joke around whenever I dropped by the office to visit Daddy.
Michele LaPlaca was diagnosed with Melanoma on the front part of her calf back in November 2002, a little over one year after her first daughter Samantha was born. With Melanoma being the most serious of skin cancers, she had chosen Memorial Sloan-Kettering knowing she would be in good hands. Her doctor removed the tumor from her leg and she was on her way to a quick recovery.
Unfortunately, in July 2006, Michele was faced once again with a reocurrence in the same spot and had it surgically removed. This was a little over one year after her first son Jake was born. Knowing that she was then pregnant with her third child they decided to wait on any kind of treatment until after the baby was born. When she was around 6 months pregnant she was undergoing multiple tests to see if there was more than four tumors and if it had spread to any other major organs.
Fortunately it did not spread to any other organs, but unfortunately she had 10 small tumors on her brain. With the trust and belief of her team of doctors, she decided to go forward with treatment and start Whole Brain Radiation. Michele was transfered to New York Presbyterian Hospital to get the best care for her unborn baby while going back to Sloan for her radiation. The game plan was: radiation for 15 days, delivery of the baby at 32 weeks and proceed with Chemotherapy. She delivered Anabelle, her last child, around Christmastime and hasn't been out of the hospital that I know of, since.
Despite all of her discomfort and pain and suffering, she still had that Michele glow that I always loved in her. I remember her from when she was healthy, and it's really so hard to believe that she's gone. I ask you, my friends, to keep the LaPlaca family in your thoughts and prayers - and remember those three gorgeous children who will grow up not knowing or remembering Michele for the bubbly personality and beautiful person she was.
-SC.