Trafford community reaches out as aggressive cancer strikes family man

For reasons they'd rather not have to consider, Cameron Comito is more often on the minds of many people in Trafford, where he grew up and still lives.

"It is hard to stop thinking about him. We both grew up in Trafford and finished in high school in the same class. We were next-door neighbors and have known each other since we were 4," Kristy Campbell of Trafford said about one of her oldest friends.

Doctors in October diagnosed Comito, 30, with an unusual and aggressive cancer known as a malignant germ-cell tumor. Comito has undergone chemotherapy five times a week, suffered from a collapsed lung and has spent nearly all of the past two months, except brief weekend visits, in the hospital.

"His doctor has only treated one other person with this," said Comito's wife, Kellie.

The family's friends are hoping that the tight-knit Trafford community will turn out on Sunday for a spaghetti dinner benefiting the Comito family, which includes four girls.

"Their life has been really affected by this. We have a lot of people that are helping out, who want to get involved," said Campbell, who is among organizers of the dinner, which will feature a bake sale, a ticket auction and silent auction of tickets to Penguins hockey and Pitt basketball games.

Since Comito was diagnosed, Kellie Comito has been on leave as an emergency nursing supervisor at Jefferson Regional Hospital in Jefferson Hills. She has spent most of the time with her husband at the hospital while the Comito's parents have looked after Madison, 10; Leah, 9; Megan, 6; and Lindsay, 4.

"(Our friends) are doing an amazing job with this dinner. We are very humbled by it. He cries because he is so grateful that people have been so generous," Kellie Comito said.

Comito is a project supervisor for Equitable Gas, where he has worked since he was 18. He is a coach for the Trafford Girls Softball Association.

"He is a good guy, a good husband, good with his daughters and the other girls who play softball. It is a shock to everyone. We are going to do all we can for him," said Ed Llewellyn of Trafford, who coaches softball with Comito.

"The response and the outreach from Cameron's co-workers, friends, neighbors, the softball association has been overwhelming," said Amy Campbell of Trafford, Kristy Campbell's sister, who is also assisting with the dinner.

"He is only 30 years old. This was a real devastating blow.

"We all took it really hard because it kind of shows us that anything can happen. But he has many friends backing him."

Additional Information:

Dine and help

What: Spaghetti dinner to benefit the Cameron Comito family

When: From 3:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday

Where: Christian Life Church, 900 7th St., Trafford.

Details: Tickets are $8 for adults; $4 for children ages 5 to 12; free for younger children. Purchase advance tickets at the Larry George Agency, 320 Cavitt Ave., Trafford, or at the door on Sunday.

For more information : Call 412-337-5633 or e-mail kristy4182@hotmail.com .