Tragedy Inspires Mom To Brighten The Lives Of Sick Children

Montgomery Newspapers:

After her family’s 14-year fight with childhood cancer, Tammy Creciun-Virgilio, Telford, lost her daughter Britiani to the disease that had dominated so much of her young life. Although Creciun-Virgilio was crushed by Britiani’s passing, she has continued her fight, and today is doing everything she can to help other families dealing with the terrible childhood illness.

Creciun-Virgilio has used her experiences while dealing with Britiani’s cancer to push the United States Congress toward legislation that will help children with cancer, and has opened up a business specifically designed to brighten up the days of children dealing with cancer and other chronic diseases.
Britiani’s battle with cancer started the day she was born, when doctors discovered an inoperable tumor that caused her to have seizures.

She was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 4 years old, and, because of the seizures, was not eligible for a bone marrow transplant, Creciun-Virgilio said.

“That was just crushing,” she said.

By 1998, when Britiani was 14 years old, the cancer had spread to her liver and her spleen.

Doctors told the family that recovery from this advanced cancer would be impossible, Creciun-Virgilio said.

That summer, right before her Aug. 8 birthday, Britiani went to the Ronald McDonald Camp in Philadelphia - a camp for children going through cancer treatment - and had such a great time that Creciun-Virgilio was planning to send Britiani back the following summer.

But on Dec. 23, 1998, Britiani passed away.

Before Britiani’s passing, Creciun-Virgilio was a private nurse who spent a great deal of her time nursing her own daughter. When Britiani was gone, Creciun-Virgilio said she had a hard time going back to nursing, and changed her career path completely.
Creciun-Virgilio started Mommie Greenest, a business that makes flowers and gifts for hospitalized children receiving treatments for chronic illnesses.

Because hospitals will not allow flowers or balloons into some of the children’s wards, Creciun-Virgilio makes the flowers out of reusable items like scarves, lollipops and socks.

“Everything is made by me and my staff,” Creciun-Virgilio said.

She was inspired to start the business during one of Britiani’s stays in the hospital, when television personality Rosie O’Donnell sent the sick girl a huge gift basket full of items that were not allowed into the area where Britiani was staying, Creciun-Virgilio said.
Although she initially created the gift baskets and bouquets for children, she is now expanding into making flowers and gifts for adults as well.