By Elizabeth Stieber
Times Staff Writer
Hanging on a living room wall in Ann and Joseph Anastasis’ Winchester Park home is a large, wood-paneled shadow box that holds the favorite items of their son Connell.
The box contains two pictures of a grinning boy, his favorite T-shirt, a small soccer ball, various candies, Matchbox cars in a neat row (Connell called the organized arrangement a “traffic jam”) and three children’s videos.
It also holds a flower from the toddler’s funeral.
The loss of Connell was a sudden and unexpected tragedy for Ann and Joseph Anastasi. Just after his second birthday, Connell, the youngest of four children, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He spent a few months at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, undergoing surgery and aggressive chemotherapy.
But the chemotherapy also destroyed his immune system. On March 20, 2001, Connell succumbed to three infections and the cancerous tumor.
His smiling face is captured in framed photos displayed with photos of his two brothers and sister. It’s one way that Connell will never be forgotten, his mother said.
“I think, as a bereaved parent, the most important thing is that the child be remembered,” she said. “He’s definitely a part of the family; he’s our every thought.”
The Anastasi family decided they could take positive steps to preserve that memory and to help others. Ann Anastasi is organizing the second annual Baskets Against Brain Tumors basketball tournament.
The fund-raising event, scheduled for Saturday, May 10, at the Ramp Playground in Pennypack, has events for people of all ages.
Those activities include 30-minute basketball games for different age groups, a disc jockey, food, T-shirts and a Moonbounce for children.
For $5, individuals can sign up for the games. It’s also $5 for children to have unlimited access to the Moonbounce.
Anastasi encourages local basketball teams to take part as well. Local companies have donated money, and various items have been contributed by professional Philadelphia sports teams for an auction on the day of the fund-raiser.
Rita’s Ices on Holme Avenue has pledged to donate 10 percent of that day’s revenue to the fund.
The proceeds of Baskets Against Brain Tumors will be turned over to an endowment fund for brain-tumor research at Children’s Hospital.
Last year’s tournament attracted about 300 people and raised $4,000.
“There was such a strong feeling last year, it was amazing,” Ann Anastasi said. “They were there for my son and for a good purpose. We’re hoping to be bigger and better this year.”
The tournament will be hosted by the Catholic Youth Organization at St. Jerome’s Church, the family’s parish. The Anastasi children go to St. Jerome’s School.
This is the second year St. Jerome’s has been an important part of the event. CYO board members came up with the concept as a way to help the Anastasi family.
“When they lost Connell, we were looking for something to do to help,” said CYO president Mike Hoch. “We’re helping raise money in the fight against cancer. The tournament is something that we’ll do and continue to do.”
Anastasi said the fund-raising event teaches her children’s classmates and playmates that they can help people in their own community.
“I think it teaches them that sometimes things affect what you know and who you know in your own neighborhood,” she said, noting that many of these same youngsters knew Connell and played with him outside. “It drives them to want to make the event a success.”
The Anastasis organize other fund-raisers, including an annual golf tournament.
What inspired Ann Anastasi to want to donate money to research at Children’s Hospital was her frustration with Connell’s treatment methods while he was in the hospital.
As a registered nurse, she knew that the treatments hadn’t changed much since her days in nursing school, she explained.
“It was the same type of treatment that I learned about fifteen years ago, and that angered me,” she recalled. “They’re still using different concoctions of the same things.”
She hopes research money will eventually lead to finding cancer treatments that don’t damage the body as much. And, of course, Ann Anastasi wants to preserve Connell’s presence and what he meant to the family.
“With fund-raisers like this,” Anastasi said, “people can’t help but think about him.” ••
The Baskets Against Brain Tumors basketball tournament will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, at the Ramp Playground on the 3300 block of Solly Ave. In the event of rain, a rescheduled location will be announced. For more information, call Ann Anastasi at 215-624-9593.
Reporter Elizabeth Stieber can be reached at 215-354-3036 or estieber@phillynews.com