SAVANNAH GIRL BATTLES LEUKEMIA

Being diagnosed with Cancer at any age is horrible, but imagine being two and half. That's exactly how old one Savannah girl is and she's battling Leukemia.

"3 on your side" Community Reporter Alice Massimi shows us tonight how the school where her mother works...is rallying behind the young heroine.

Cora Garola was the picture of health. Then, the Leukemia diagnosis came just three weeks ago.

“Her mother had been a first grade teacher with us for some time and this little girl is like our little girl too. We just wanted to do whatever we could do to help Cora and to help her family,” says Ruth Ann Palmer, the principal at Savannah Christian.

So, in a school that responds to help its own, came the little one's Cora's Mom used to teach.

“She would do stuff for us all the time so we wanted to give something back to her,” says Jennifer Colter who had Cora’s mom as a teacher in first grade

“A little sad so we started raising money for her and her family,” explains Rachel Melton a fourth grade student at the school.

“Well today is Cora Day. Since its No Uniform Day we usually bring in 25 cents but you can bring in more and it all goes to the Garola Family,” says Sydney Davis, another one of Cora’s Mom’s former students.

Those quarters add up. Already they've raised seven thousand dollars and they are not just collecting money. They are also collecting blood and the outpouring has been more than they could've expected.

“We were not expecting this many people. We've got another bus, we've got all our staff staying extra hours. The students have come out and been wonderful and brave in giving blood,” comments Jane Hower of the Savannah Blood Alliance.

And they've made sure no one will forget Cora. Almost every teacher wears a pink ribbon and Cora herself isn't just the lovely little two year old everyone loves. She's the new Savannah Christian fashion statement.

“I love her and I really want her to get better,” says Hayden Stanford.

The family got some much welcomed good news recently-- Cora...is in remission.

For more information on how you can help Cora and her family call Savannah Christian at 234-1653 x 400