Memorial Saturday for young leukemia victim

Cody Badalato A community memorial has been scheduled for 10 a.m. Sat., Feb. 7 at Oak Canyon Park in Oak Park to remember the life of Cody Badalato, a Medea Creek eighthgrader who died of leukemia.

The handsome, athletic and outgoing teenager appeared healthy until the night of Dec. 7, 2008 when he suddenly couldn't breathe and suffered cardiac arrest.

After being airlifted to UCLA Medical Center, Cody was found to have a mass in his chest and was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Although unconscious, Cody began chemotherapy treatment. He had just turned 14 on Dec 13. He died the next day.

"Cody's death has had an incredible impact on not only the children and families that he went to school with, but on people who never knew him at all," said Susan Brewer, a friend who is helping to organize the memorial.

"He was an amazing young man who had had an incredible influence on everyone he met in his short 14 years," Brewer said.

Visit www.codybadalato.com.