SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Two successful businessmen. Two beautiful and loving families. Two young boys with leukemia.

Unhappy story? Not for the Mongiello and Scancarello families—Anthony Scancarello (age 8) and Anthony (“Lilo”) Mongiello (age 5) are leukemia survivors. And that’s not the end of the story either. The boys and their families are working hard to help other leukemia sufferers.

Sal Scancarello and his brothers operate the regional Boar’s Head distributorship for Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties. Anthony Mongiello produces specialty Italian cheeses at Formaggio in Hurleyville. They knew each other in business.

“He buys my cold cuts, I buy his cheese,” said Sal. But their friendship took on a new dimension in the battle against their sons’ leukemia.

Anthony Mongiello’s son Lilo was diagnosed with leukemia in 2011. He had been having unexplained recurring fevers, and, after eliminating several possible causes, the Mongiellos took Lilo to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Westchester, where he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He was only two years old.

“Our whole world changed. It came unglued,” said Anthony. “My wife Monica and I felt we had to go through a door, and that it would be cold and dark on the other side. But the amazing thing was that there were special people on the other side with outstretched hands to help us.” Those people were the children’s oncology team at Maria Fareri.

After intensive treatment at Maria Fareri, Lilo is now in remission, and happily entered Kindergarten this month. He loves sports and is an avid T-ball player.

Anthony Scancarello’s parents took him to the doctor for a sore throat in 2013. The results of a strep test and blood work sent them also to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital where they found out that there were leukemia cancer cells in 98% of his bone marrow. He began a course of chemotherapy and cranial radiation for the cancer in his spine. In 30 days Anthony was in remission. Although he will continue to receive treatment, the remission is holding. He recently enjoyed his eighth birthday and has just entered third grade.

When Anthony Mongiello found out about Sal’s son’s diagnosis, he reached out right away.

“When I heard, I knew what he and his family would go through,” Anthony Mongiello said.

“He would always check in on me if I was delivering to his store,” Sal said. “He was so supportive. It meant a lot.”

Both families praise the oncology team at Maria Fareri—a unique family-centered hospital with a specialized hematology and oncology center—and the excellent doctors who helped them on the road to recovery: Dr. Fevzi Ozkaynak in Westchester for Lilo and Dr. Stacey Rosmarin in Monroe for Anthony. The Mongiellos and the Scancarellos are grateful, and they feel strongly that they owe it to help other children and families in the same position.

Anthony Mongiello works closely with the St. Jude’s Fundraising Radiothons on Thunder 102 in Sullivan County. Lilo has been on the air for these events (October 18 is the next one), and Lilo was also the Grand Marshall at the 2013 Relay for Life fundraiser at Sullivan County Community College.

“My wife always fills up the boxes for cancer fundraising in the stores—fills them all the way up,” said Anthony Mongiello.

The Scancarellos are working with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, staging a large fundraiser, “Heroes for a Cure,” on October 11 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. at Rosmarin’s Day Camp at 12 School Rd. Monroe, NY. Dr. Rosmarin is giving her camp for the day to host the event—an entire afternoon of family entertainment, games, and food. They plan to do this every year. Adults are requested to make a minimum donation of $20; children under 13 are admitted free. (Call 973/900-7708. Donations are also being accepted at pages.lightthenight.org/ctwhv/Rockland14/AnthonyStrong.)

“Life now has a whole different focus. You no longer worry about what football game you are going to watch—only if your son will get well. My wife, Christine, and I are a team. She stayed with Anthony at the hospital the whole time when I had to go to work. We are grateful for every day of Anthony’s recovery,” said Sal.

The dedication of the parents is an inspiration, as is the courage of the two boys, who both have shown great bravery and patience in fighting their illness. The Scancarellos nicknamed Anthony “Kid Rock” and the Mongiellos call their son “Lilo Hero”—two young survivors!

September is Children’s Cancer Awareness Month. For more information on childhood cancer, go to the websites for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org) and St. Jude’s Hospital (www.stjude.org); tune into the Thunder 102 radiothon next week; and head down to Monroe on October 11 for the “Heroes for a Cure” Fundraiser.

Finally, all of the Pecks Supermarkets will hold a fundraising drive from September 22 through October 5. Donations in increments of $1 dollar can be made at the cash register. In addition on September 26 through 28, Pecks will offer $1 Boar’s Head hot dogs with all proceeds going to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.