The following article was published in the Perinton-Fairport Post newspaper on April 5, 2007 and on their website at MPNnow.com:
Family, friends will remember Natalie's light
A tree-planting ceremony later this school year will honor the memory of Natalie Giambattista
By MAGGIE RAMSAY
Messenger Post Staff
Posted: Apr 5, 01:00 PM EDT
FAIRPORT – Friends of Natalie Giambattista call her a “firefly.”
The reason: “Because she would light up a room,” said Natalie’s father, David Giambattista.
“But we call her ‘Joy,’” he said of his late daughter, who died of a rare form of cancer Tuesday, March 27, surrounded by family members.
She was a junior at Fairport High School and would have turned 17 Wednesday.
“Every father says their children are special because they are biased,” he said. “But Natalie was special. She was full of life, optimistic and a friend to everyone.”
He said she was a high achiever but not ego-driven, committed to God, but not self righteous, was goofy and made people laugh.
The flag flew at half-staff at Fairport High School Wednesday, and several students gathered to support one another throughout the morning and afternoon. They created ribbons made up of Natalie’s favorite colors – orange and yellow – and hung posters that read “We’ll miss you Natalie,” and “You will not be forgotten.”
“There is a huge hole in the heart of Fairport High School,” said school principal Dave Paddock. “Everyone loved Natalie, and she had a huge impact on the school. It is something that we won’t get over for quite some time.”
Natalie’s dad said his daughter’s plate was always full.
She played tuba in the school band and played piano, was a member of the school tennis, cross-country skiing and outdoor track teams. She was also heavily involved in her church youth group at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
“Every day before school she would go to church to what we call early morning seminar,” David Giambattista said.
For the last two years, she took part in the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Manchester.
“She looked forward to that every year,” he said.
Natalie also excelled in school. This school year, she took three Advance Placement classes, carrying a 95 grade-point average. Natalie wanted to attend the same college her parents did in Utah.
“She wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to do (after high school), but she wanted to do something in chemistry. She knew she wanted to help people. She never said doctor or anything, but something in the research/medical area,” David Giambattista said.
Natalie first became sick in September after complaining of shortness of breath, abdominal pain and loss of appetite, he said. At first, doctors diagnosed the illnesses as stress-induced anxiety. However, the pain persisted.
From October to February Natalie went to doctors about 40 times, David Giambattista said.
In mid-February, doctors discovered tumors in her ovaries and quickly removed them. But on March 8, doctors determined she had a Krukenberg tumor, a rare form of cancer that normally afflicts women in their 40s and 50s.
David Giambattista said there are only about a few hundred cases diagnosed a year.
Still, the family had hope.
“We felt the odds were with us. She was young and healthy,” David Giambattista said. Plus, it wasn’t the first time the family dealt with cancer.
In 2001, Natalie’s brother, Aaron, was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma at age 13. “We got through that, and now he is a freshman at college and doing great.”
But Natalie’s health wasn’t getting better. On March 19, she went into the hospital for a routine examine to prepare for surgery to remove additional tumors in her lungs. While she was recovering, her heart started to fail, her dad said.
“She was hoping for a miracle and never once complained to God or us. She wanted to live, she was trying to live,” her dad said, holding back tears.
Natalie’s best friend, Kristin Schwab, said she remembers the day clearly when the two met.
“We were 4 years old,” Schwab said. “My mom walked me over to her back yard and I asked if she wanted to come over and play.”
From that time, they remained side-by-side, sharing similar athletic and school interests.
“I am shy and Natalie is the opposite of me. She is very outgoing, brave, strong and very spiritual. She never was at a loss for words, and just hearing her voice or seeing her smile would brighten my day,” Schwab said.
Paddock said the school community will hold a memorial service and plant a tree in her memory once the weather becomes warmer.
A funeral service was held Saturday, March 31, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 460 Kreag Road in Perinton.
She is survived by her parents, Dave and Catherine Giambattista; sister of Sean (Lauren), Emily, Aaron, Allison and Dana; granddaughter of Beryl Giambattista and Wilfred Pliler; niece of Gloria Pliler-Medina, Will Pliler, LaVerne Robbins, Brian Giambattista and Alan Giambattista; and her cousins.
Donations can be made to Ronald McDonald House or C.U.R.E in Natalie’s memory.
captioned "Natalie Giambattista died last week of a rare form of cancer. She was a junior at Fairport High School. The school will plant a tree in her memory later this spring."
captioned "Friends and family of Natalie Giambattista said she had an sweet and outgoing personality."