Her smile was just as bright as her future. Nitalia had a whole life to live.
She was smart, and music was one of her passions.
"She loved to play the violin," said her father, Anthony Conti. "There was absolutely no signs of her having any kind of issues."
At just 12 years old, Nitalia started to get headaches.
"Your child goes to the eye doctor to get a pair of glasses and the next day she's on an MRI table, and you're told she needs immediate brain surgery, and she's going to be gone in two months," said Conti.
Just that fast, life for this family would change forever. Nitalia would battle brain cancer for more than two years. The cost of her medical care would soar to $530,000 per month.
She passed away in 2011, but since then, the Conti family has made it their mission to help other parents understand cancer treatment.
They started The Purple Society and recently launched an app where parents can research different treatments, even getting an average cost for some medicine.
"There's no one in any hospital environment that's going to be a better advocate for your child than you," said Conti. "At the core, people are good, and if you need help, you need only to ask."
