Ansonia holds drive-by parade for girl with inoperable brain tumor

ANSONIA, Conn. (WFSB) - Ansonia put on a parade for a first grader who’s battling a brain tumor.

They gathered at Mead School and made their way over to the family’s home

A school community and the city, showing just how much they care.

A caravan of cars, fire trucks and police cruisers, pulled up to this little girl’s house, to bring her family some much needed joy.

Teachers and school staff, the mayor, and even Santa Claus, dropped by for Jeilany, a first grader at Mead who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.

One by one cars stopped as they got out, bringing gifts, cars and balloons to her family.

The idea for the drive by parade was the idea of Mead School guidance counselor James Chester.

He says he learned about what the family was going through when Jeilany’s older sister came into his office wanting to talk.

He decided they needed to do something, they came up with the idea for the drive by parade, and it really took off with so many pitching in and wanting to take part.

“One day she was so distraught, I said, ‘what would you like to do for your sister? How do you want to make her happy?’ and she says, ‘I’ll think about it.’ Me and my wife, we thought about it, and I presented it to her family, do you want to do a drive by and it kind of took a life of its own, the whole community, just got involved,” said Chester. “Just encourage the family, because the family is going through a whole lot right now and that’s one thing nice about the Ansonia community and the Valley, everybody goes big, even though it’s a small area.”

Jeilany’s dad want to say anything on camera, but he said he’s so appreciative of everything the community has done. While they are going through a tough time right now, he said it’s amazing to see how his little girl moved a city.

A fundraiser has been started for Jeilany. You can find it here.

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