Sunrise Joins Together After Triplets Develop Brain Tumors

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SUNRISE (CBSMiami) -- The community in Sunrise has come together to help out the Coseno family, whose triplets have been diagnosed with debilitating brain tumors.

A fundraiser held at Quarterdeck for 8-year-old's Ellie, Gigi and Carmina aims to raise $10,000.

"That money, honestly, would help pay for medical testing that we just can't afford," said the girls' mother, Kimberly Coseno. "Genetic testing, that could maybe have answers to what's going on and to stop this progression."

Kim and Joe Coseno first learned three years ago that one of their young triplets had five brain tumors.

Little Ellie Coseno underwent seven surgeries in their home state of Ohio.

The Coseno's did some research on other hospitals across the country and found one of the best teams for their kids at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, and moved the family to Sunrise.

"We came from knowing zero people here, we knew no one in south Florida, to now we have this huge community with numbers and names that we can call," mom said.

The family would later find out their other girls, Carmina and Gigi, also had brain tumors. They cause dizziness, nausea, short-term memory loss and visual impairment.

Countless, but necessary, medical visits have taken their tolls financially and emotionally.

"Most of the time they're in pretty good spirits. They're pretty relentless," said Joe. "We try to focus on doing everything to make sure that they're happy and to live every part of their life as full as they can."

Sunday's fundraiser came as a surprise.

They're thankful that in their time of need there are people willing to lend a helping hand.

"Honestly, it's unbelievable how much they've done for our family and just a complete shock to us that they would put all of this effort into us, who they barely know," dad said.