April 17, 2008
PHILADELPHIA- The Temple women's lacrosse team will honor eight very special people this Saturday before its game against the Villanova Wildcats at 11 a.m. Seniors Nicole Caniglia, Bridget McMullan, Lindsey McMullen, Hillary Richards, Berkley Summerlin and Lindsay Wells will all be recognized in a pre-game ceremony. Five-year-old Devon Lam, the Owls' adopted teammate will also be honored in pre-game and halftime ceremonies.
The Owls are dedicating their game against the Wildcats to Devon and her parents, Danny and Angela. Devon was diagnosed with a brain tumor on October 12, 2004 at just 19 months old. Her tumor is currently stable after an extensive treatment process, which included six months of chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant/rescue. Though she has been stable for almost two years, Devon just learned to walk independently again this past year.
Devon was introduced to the team through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, a charitable organization created to raising public awareness regarding pediatric brain tumors. Funds will be used to improve the quality of life of children who are afflicted with a brain tumor, as well as donating contributions to pediatric brain tumor research. All seven teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference are sponsoring children through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation.
Though the Lam family resides in Queens, N.Y., this is not its first visit to a Temple lacrosse game. The Lams have also attended games against Penn State and UMass, both of which were big victories for the Cherry and White.
Temple is posting a 10-4 overall record and 6-1 mark in the Atlantic 10. The Owls are currently in first place in the A-10 and have won at least a share of the Conference regular season title. The A-10 Tournament will be held April 25-27 on the campus of the University of Massachusetts.
For more information on the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, visit it on the web at www.friendsofjaclyn.org. For more information and to donate to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, please visit www.firstgiving.com/devonlam. You can learn more about Devon and her friendship with the Temple women's lacrosse team at www.caringbridge.org/ny/devonlam/index.htm.
