BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Tree of Hope shines bright Friday night on the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center campus.
The brand new tree from Chautauqua County is covered in nearly 75,000 lights that are meant to light up the night sky and offer hope for all those whose lives have been touched by cancer.
The person who lit the tree Friday evening is 11-year-old Ella, a young artist who has been battling leukemia and getting her treatment at Roswell Park.
The good news is she is improving but still goes through chemotherapy.
Ella's father, Nate Beach, recently told us that tonight is a time where the family can come together for a happy occasion.
"Just to celebrate, just to push back that fear for one night, and just have a good time and celebrate the fact that there is hope," Nate Beach said.
Ella is in remission and has three more months of maintenance treatments.
"I think Ella's found her voice," Ella's mother, Mary Beach, said. "Where she was once very shy and reserved she's coming out of her shell more."
The 25-foot-tall tree arrived Tuesday afternoon from Chautauqua County.
The tree arrived from Westfield and was donated by Barb and Jerry Kittle in honor of their friend and cancer patient, June Beers.
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