Every Child Needs an Angel

Sporting the number thirty-four on her jersey, Nicole Sheriff is a natural athlete who excels at every sport she tries; she especially loves basketball, softball, and field hockey. During her seventh-grade year at Northampton Middle School, she feels an ongoing, severe pain in her back. Doctors find a mass the size of a softball on her spine and determine that she suffers from Stage 4 Ewing sarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer with a 30 percent survival rate. Nicole and her parents understand the disease is going to consume a lot of their time, energy, and thoughts. Not one to give up or wallow in self-pity, Nicole knows this will be a battle for her life-no different, really, than an athletic contest. As an athlete, she is prepared to go down swinging; she will never give up. Based on a true story, "Every Child Needs an Angel" narrates Nicole's battle with cancer, her reliance on faith, and her mission to help others and to make a difference. It recounts the unwavering support from friends, neighbors, co-workers, medical staff, and coaches-those who became angels to Nicole in her time of need.

Cosmo Lorusso is the author of a series of books designed to help improve student writing. He has a master’s degree in writing from Northeastern University. He is an English teacher and the head football coach at Roxbury High School in New Jersey. Lorusso and his wife have four daughters.