Battling a fickle and fragile life

Throughout the more than 14 years since Kasey Wien was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia at 13- months-old, strong family support has been the backbone of her recovery.

Now 15 and a sophomore at Hewlett High School, Wien and her family, mother Tammy, father Rick, older sister Bari and older brother Evan continue to support Wien and the cause of battling leukemia.

Wien and Tammy, along with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) organized a Pie Party “Bake for a Cure” event last Sunday at the Woodmere firehouse in Woodmere, where the family lives.

“It was Kasey and her brother Evan, a senior at the University of Virginia, that spearheaded the whole idea,” said Tammy, referring to the Pie Party. She added that Evan’s fraternity organized a similar event.

Fundraising for the LLS cause has become a family cottage industry as Rick organized the Wien’s first in 1998. As members of the organization’s organizing committee from 2002-’06, the family helped support the group’s Casino Night at the Crest Hollow Country Club. In 2007, they chaired the event and raised more than $90,000.

As part of LLS’s Team in Training, Bari ran in the Mardi Gras New Orleans half marathon with her sister’s picture stitched on the back of her shirt, last year. She raised $7,648.50 the second highest contribution of the more than 400 participants.

Evan is currently training for a marathon in June in Alaska with Team in Training. His goal is to raise at least $7,000. His pledges have already raised approximately $4,000. Bari is competing in the New York City Nautica Triathlon in August to raise money. Tammy estimates that her three children will raise more than $20,000 for LLS in the next few months.

Learning from Kasey’s illness that life is “fragile and fickle” Bari said she runs and competes in these events to honor not only her sister (her best friend) and give back to LLS, the organization Bari credits with helping to save Kasey’s life.

“I do it for those who can’t run themselves, who can’t even get out of bed or who don’t have the strength to go down the stairs to check their mail,” Bari said. “If a 13-month-old can conquer cancer, each one of us can definitely conquer this race. And never forget to enjoy every minute [of life].”