Oklahoma Borough girl with leukemia to be honored at West Leechburg fundraiser

Nora Caporali was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia before she’d even turned 2.

Her parents noticed some broken blood vessels and took their toddler to the doctor.

They didn’t suspect anything serious. She was an active, enthusiastic child, after all.

But the Oklahoma Borough family was sent to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for a few extra tests on Nora, just to be sure.

“It was earth-shattering for our family,” said Jenelle Caporali, Nora’s mother. “Your kid who you thought was healthy and feisty has leukemia. We were dumbfounded.”

The Caporalis will be guests of honor at the fifth annual “Small Town, Loud Voice” fundraiser March 21 in West Leechburg. The event will feature a Shamrock Shuffle 5K race and a St. Patrick’s Day dance to raise money for causes in the Pittsburgh region.

Ian Coyle, founder and president of Semper Gratus, said he established the nonprofit five years ago to bring people together to do good. Semper Gratus is Latin for “always grateful” — Coyle’s personal mantra.

Each year, the nonprofit partners with a different foundation to support a new cause. In the past, Coyle has raised money for research in cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy and leukemia and lymphoma.

Last year, the event sold out for the second year in a row, raising more than $30,000 for Cerebral Palsy and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

“It’s been an amazing run,” Coyle said. “Every year, we’ve grown.”

This year, in honor of 3-year-old Nora, Semper Gratus will once again raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Coyle and Nora’s father, Matt Caporali, played football together at Kiski Area High School, and the two reconnected later through work.

The Caporalis will speak at that evening’s St. Patrick’s Day dance.

“We’re just trying to share her story to raise awareness and help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society,” Jenelle Caporali said.

Coyle said there is no monetary goal for this year’s fundraiser. He said the event’s main purpose is to facilitate community and empathy, and to inspire people to pay it forward.

The Caporali family has countless times in the past year leaned on neighbors and community members, Jenelle Caporali said. They sent dinners. They offered support. They held fundraising events.

“I just think that it’s important, as a community, to come together and let people know there is support out there if something does come up in your family,” Jenelle Caporali said. “We’re all in this together. Nobody fights alone.”

The Shamrock Shuffle and the dance are fun and exciting, but Coyle said the purpose for the gathering is never lost on anyone.

“I’m really fortunate that I feel the community members and attendees recognize the authenticity of the event, too,” he said.

More than a year after her diagnosis, Nora is in a maintenance phase, with hopes of finishing treatment by late December. Her mother said she receives oral chemo every day at home, in addition to hospital visits every four weeks for IV treatment. She’s had too many spinal taps to count, Jenelle Caporali said.

She still attends preschool twice a week.

“She is an amazing little warrior,” Caporali said. “It takes a lot to get her down.”