The Brief
- An 11-year-old took on the Swim Across America challenge in support of her older sister.
- Emmersan Grieco-Routh not only swam, but her team raised over $15,000 dollars for cancer research, which will go right back to the hospital where her sister Frankie currently receives care.
- Since 2012, Swim Across America has helped raise more than $2 million for local cancer research.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla – 11-year old Emmersan Grieco-Routh, who often goes by Emmie, was one of dozens of swimmers who suited up and made a splash to fight cancer on Saturday morning at the 14th annual ‘Swim Across America’ open water swim in St. Pete.
On the shoreline cheering her on was one very special person, and the reason for her participation; Her 13-year-old sister Frankie, who is celebrating being 10 years cancer-free of a rare form of lymphoma.
Also joined by her youngest sister Augustine, her friends, and parents, the group described what a roller coaster of a journey it’s been to get here.
What they’re saying:
“It was really challenging,” Giselle Grieco-Routh recalled. “I was two weeks pregnant with Augustine when Frankie was diagnosed. She was only three and Emerson was 10 months old. Our lives and family, everything just kind of fell apart overnight. There were really scary nights where we didn’t know what the future was going to hold for us. But we had some great friends and family come and rally behind us and support us, and we had good doctors that saved her life.” …