Monday, Nov. 27, 2000
FIELDSBORO — Four-year-old Jessica Leonhauser, who received an outpouring of support from area residents since she was diagnosed with leukemia this summer, died last week.
Her family resides in Pennington but her mother, Allyson Leonhauser, owned the Fourth Street Cafe across from the Fieldsboro Inn.
Ed Carnassale, owner of the Fieldsboro Inn, had helped to arrange a successful fund-raiser held for Jessica Oct. 21. He said the news of Jessica's death both shocked and saddened him.
"I got the news about 10 a.m. (Monday)," said Mr. Carnassale. "She passed away 4 a.m. Monday morning."
Jessica had been at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital when she died.
Jessica was diagnosed with childhood acute lymphocycic leukemia (ALL) this summer and faced months of chemotherapy. ALL is the most common type of childhood cancer, and occurs when too many lymphocytes, or undeveloped white blood cells, are in the bloodstream. In patients with ALL, the lymphocytes do not mature, and instead collect in lymph tissue.
"It was totally unexpected," he said. "We just went to McGuire Air Force Base, and they gave us a check for $1,500 they raised. She couldn't be there, but they gave her a little teddy bear dressed as an airman with a tag with her name on it."
Jessica's Friends, a group of area residents who have been involved in raising money for the family's medical bills, planned to meet Tuesday night to discuss how to use what they have raised.
"We still want to help the family," said Mr. Carnassale. "Everybody was rooting for her. It's such a sad thing."
Bordentown City resident Valerie Sassaman, a major force behind Jessica's Friends who organized a lengthy thank-you letter to the Register-News last week expressing gratitude to over 100 organizations, said over $30,000 has been raised.
Possibilities that will be discussed during the special meeting, she said, include donating a portion back to organizations in Jessica's name, donating to leukemia societies, setting up another fund in a sick child's name, and consulting Jessica's parents about what they would like to see done with the funds.
"We are very impressed with the wide array of people who donated for such a worthy cause," she said. "Even though she was sick, it was still a surprise to hear of her death, because if you had seen her during the fund-raiser, you wouldn't even have known she was sick."
Jessica's funeral was held Friday at the Wilson-Apple Funeral Home in Pennington. Burial will took place at Highland Cemetery in Hopewell, followed by a gathering at the Titusville Firehouse.
FIELDSBORO — Four-year-old Jessica Leonhauser, who received an outpouring of support from area residents since she was diagnosed with leukemia this summer, died last week.
Her family resides in Pennington but her mother, Allyson Leonhauser, owned the Fourth Street Cafe across from the Fieldsboro Inn.
Ed Carnassale, owner of the Fieldsboro Inn, had helped to arrange a successful fund-raiser held for Jessica Oct. 21. He said the news of Jessica's death both shocked and saddened him.
"I got the news about 10 a.m. (Monday)," said Mr. Carnassale. "She passed away 4 a.m. Monday morning."
Jessica had been at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital when she died.
Jessica was diagnosed with childhood acute lymphocycic leukemia (ALL) this summer and faced months of chemotherapy. ALL is the most common type of childhood cancer, and occurs when too many lymphocytes, or undeveloped white blood cells, are in the bloodstream. In patients with ALL, the lymphocytes do not mature, and instead collect in lymph tissue.
"It was totally unexpected," he said. "We just went to McGuire Air Force Base, and they gave us a check for $1,500 they raised. She couldn't be there, but they gave her a little teddy bear dressed as an airman with a tag with her name on it."
Jessica's Friends, a group of area residents who have been involved in raising money for the family's medical bills, planned to meet Tuesday night to discuss how to use what they have raised.
"We still want to help the family," said Mr. Carnassale. "Everybody was rooting for her. It's such a sad thing."
Bordentown City resident Valerie Sassaman, a major force behind Jessica's Friends who organized a lengthy thank-you letter to the Register-News last week expressing gratitude to over 100 organizations, said over $30,000 has been raised.
Possibilities that will be discussed during the special meeting, she said, include donating a portion back to organizations in Jessica's name, donating to leukemia societies, setting up another fund in a sick child's name, and consulting Jessica's parents about what they would like to see done with the funds.
"We are very impressed with the wide array of people who donated for such a worthy cause," she said. "Even though she was sick, it was still a surprise to hear of her death, because if you had seen her during the fund-raiser, you wouldn't even have known she was sick."
Jessica's funeral was held Friday at the Wilson-Apple Funeral Home in Pennington. Burial will took place at Highland Cemetery in Hopewell, followed by a gathering at the Titusville Firehouse.
Monday, Nov. 27, 2000
FIELDSBORO — Four-year-old Jessica Leonhauser, who received an outpouring of support from area residents since she was diagnosed with leukemia this summer, died last week.
Her family resides in Pennington but her mother, Allyson Leonhauser, owned the Fourth Street Cafe across from the Fieldsboro Inn.
Ed Carnassale, owner of the Fieldsboro Inn, had helped to arrange a successful fund-raiser held for Jessica Oct. 21. He said the news of Jessica's death both shocked and saddened him.
"I got the news about 10 a.m. (Monday)," said Mr. Carnassale. "She passed away 4 a.m. Monday morning."
Jessica had been at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital when she died.
Jessica was diagnosed with childhood acute lymphocycic leukemia (ALL) this summer and faced months of chemotherapy. ALL is the most common type of childhood cancer, and occurs when too many lymphocytes, or undeveloped white blood cells, are in the bloodstream. In patients with ALL, the lymphocytes do not mature, and instead collect in lymph tissue.
"It was totally unexpected," he said. "We just went to McGuire Air Force Base, and they gave us a check for $1,500 they raised. She couldn't be there, but they gave her a little teddy bear dressed as an airman with a tag with her name on it."
Jessica's Friends, a group of area residents who have been involved in raising money for the family's medical bills, planned to meet Tuesday night to discuss how to use what they have raised.
"We still want to help the family," said Mr. Carnassale. "Everybody was rooting for her. It's such a sad thing."
Bordentown City resident Valerie Sassaman, a major force behind Jessica's Friends who organized a lengthy thank-you letter to the Register-News last week expressing gratitude to over 100 organizations, said over $30,000 has been raised.
Possibilities that will be discussed during the special meeting, she said, include donating a portion back to organizations in Jessica's name, donating to leukemia societies, setting up another fund in a sick child's name, and consulting Jessica's parents about what they would like to see done with the funds.
"We are very impressed with the wide array of people who donated for such a worthy cause," she said. "Even though she was sick, it was still a surprise to hear of her death, because if you had seen her during the fund-raiser, you wouldn't even have known she was sick."
Jessica's funeral was held Friday at the Wilson-Apple Funeral Home in Pennington. Burial will took place at Highland Cemetery in Hopewell, followed by a gathering at the Titusville Firehouse.
FIELDSBORO — Four-year-old Jessica Leonhauser, who received an outpouring of support from area residents since she was diagnosed with leukemia this summer, died last week.
Her family resides in Pennington but her mother, Allyson Leonhauser, owned the Fourth Street Cafe across from the Fieldsboro Inn.
Ed Carnassale, owner of the Fieldsboro Inn, had helped to arrange a successful fund-raiser held for Jessica Oct. 21. He said the news of Jessica's death both shocked and saddened him.
"I got the news about 10 a.m. (Monday)," said Mr. Carnassale. "She passed away 4 a.m. Monday morning."
Jessica had been at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital when she died.
Jessica was diagnosed with childhood acute lymphocycic leukemia (ALL) this summer and faced months of chemotherapy. ALL is the most common type of childhood cancer, and occurs when too many lymphocytes, or undeveloped white blood cells, are in the bloodstream. In patients with ALL, the lymphocytes do not mature, and instead collect in lymph tissue.
"It was totally unexpected," he said. "We just went to McGuire Air Force Base, and they gave us a check for $1,500 they raised. She couldn't be there, but they gave her a little teddy bear dressed as an airman with a tag with her name on it."
Jessica's Friends, a group of area residents who have been involved in raising money for the family's medical bills, planned to meet Tuesday night to discuss how to use what they have raised.
"We still want to help the family," said Mr. Carnassale. "Everybody was rooting for her. It's such a sad thing."
Bordentown City resident Valerie Sassaman, a major force behind Jessica's Friends who organized a lengthy thank-you letter to the Register-News last week expressing gratitude to over 100 organizations, said over $30,000 has been raised.
Possibilities that will be discussed during the special meeting, she said, include donating a portion back to organizations in Jessica's name, donating to leukemia societies, setting up another fund in a sick child's name, and consulting Jessica's parents about what they would like to see done with the funds.
"We are very impressed with the wide array of people who donated for such a worthy cause," she said. "Even though she was sick, it was still a surprise to hear of her death, because if you had seen her during the fund-raiser, you wouldn't even have known she was sick."
Jessica's funeral was held Friday at the Wilson-Apple Funeral Home in Pennington. Burial will took place at Highland Cemetery in Hopewell, followed by a gathering at the Titusville Firehouse.
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