14 JANUARY 31, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Glendale family celebrates life of a ‘warrior’ who fought cancer
BY JENNA BAGCAL
JBAGCAL@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
Mark Pearson wants people
to remember his daughter
Brooke beyond her cancer.
“She was extremely thoughtful, especially
for her friends,” Pearson said.
“She stood up to bullies. She stood up
for her friends that were being bullied.
That’s why we called her ‘warrior princess’
— not because of this. This was
thrust upon her. Everything else she
did was because of who she was.”
More than eight months after
Brooke was diagnosed with Leptomeningeal
Disease (LMD), the 14-year-old
P.S./I.S. 119 student died on Jan. 28 in
her family home in Glendale.
“She loved life and she didn’t deserve
a fraction of what she went through,”
Pearson said.
On Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, the Pearsons
will be holding a “Celebration of Life”
in lieu of a funeral.
“So we’re not looking for anybody
to be dressed up in, you know, formal
black and ties,” Pearson said.
Instead, attendees are asked to don
colorful and comfortable clothes in
honor of Brooke, including the signature
“Team Brooki” shirts that many
bought to raise money for the teen.
“If people came across and met her
and knew her they would know that
she was never the dress type. She
was always down to earth,
always wearing jeans and
comfortable clothes,” her
father said.
Pearson shared that their
strong support systems on
social media and in person
have been integral in getting
them through their
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diffi cult journey,
“It’s been instrumental in
trying to keep our sanity.
People have been sharing
that they’re going through
some similar experiences.
Most of it was people
reaching out to help. We
had people fundraising
for us, people dropping off
food, willing to do errands
for us, food shopping, you
name it. The outpouring
was amazing both local and
abroad,” he said.
He added that their “large
family” in England has also
helped to fundraise for the
Pearsons all the way across
the pond.
While their experience is
something that Pearson hopes no parents
ever have to go through, the father
and president of the 104th Precinct
Civilian Observation Patrol (GCOP)
hopes to help others who are in a similar
position.
SINCE 1908
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Since they posted the latest update
about Brooke on the Team Brooki
Facebook page, Pearson said that
many people battling the same cancer
have reached out for information and
support.
“I’ve gotten more people
reaching out to me that
are faced with the disease
now that she was faced
with, also running into the
same obstacles of there not
being enough information out there,”
he said.
His wish is to help others by collecting
information about each person
he speaks to, including their “stumbling
blocks” and sharing their own
Photo courtesy of Mark Pearson
experiences in order to help people
through their journeys.
Brooke’s Celebration of Life will
take place at George Werst Funeral
Home at 71-41 Cooper Ave. in Glendale.
Visiting hours are scheduled
for 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on
Thursday, Jan. 31. Her cremation
service will be on Feb. 1 at 10:45 a.m.
For more information and updates,
visit the Team Brooki Facebook
page.
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NYC's Largest Real Estate Section
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VOL. 109, NO. 45 JUNE 7 — 13, 2018
Burglary
pattern in
Maspeth
See Page 3
Searching
for new
school sites
See Page 14
Maspeth High School tennis team serves up a championship season Page 25
Photo courtesy of Ronnie Roth
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Stabbing
suspects
at large
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
EDAVENPORT@QNS.COM / @QNS
Two suspects who recently
stabbed a man during a heated
argument in Ozone Park
remain at large, according to police.
On May 28, police responded to
a 911 call regarding an assault with
a knife at a location on Liberty Avenue
near 105th Street. Upon their
arrival, offi cers from the 106th Precinct
found a 29-year-old man with
stab wounds throughout his body.
Authorities stated that the
victim got into a dispute with two
unknown men who followed the
victim to his car. The suspects then
proceeded to stab the victim multiple
times before fl eeing the scene.
Paramedics brought the victim
to Jamaica Hospital, where he was
treated for non-life-threatening
injuries.
Anyone with information about
the assault can call the 106th Precinct
Detective Squad at 718-845-
2261. All calls are kept confi dential.
HOPE
FOR
BROOKE
Community rallies around civic president’s
daughter during cancer fifi ght
See Page 4
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