"Overwhelming" is a phrase often used in association with cancer. One 11-year-old girl fighting ovarian cancer, rare for anyone under the age of 40, is showing her community how the word can be used in a positive light.

Paige LaRosa, of Warrington, Pennsylvania, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in early February, after initially being taken to the hospital with persistent abdominal pain.

"She took it better than we did, honestly," said Shane LaRosa, Paige's father. "We were caught off guard, overwhelmed. One minute you're there for abdominal pain, next thing you know, it's cancer."

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) initially operated to remove one ovary, but a full pathology left them no choice but to remove the other as well.

What makes Paige's diagnosis such an extraordinary case is that according to the CDC, over 90 percent of ovarian cancer patients are over 40 years of age. Every year, ovarian cancer hits about 20,000 women, but fewer than 1 in 100,000 women under 20 are diagnosed each year, making Paige's cancer overwhelmingly rare.

That being said, most ovarian cancer fighters don't have to worry about schoolwork.

"In general, the support from everyone has been overwhelming," LaRosa mentioned in regards to the school. "We had a meeting with teachers and the principal, and they insisted on doing whatever necessary, they 'didn't want school to be a worry for Paige'. The kids made cards, and one teacher even crocheted a poncho-like cover up."

Paige's two younger sisters have also picked up on the situation. According to their father, they know to help their sister out when she needs something, and they're also aware that sometimes she'll need her space.

Paige seems to understand exactly what is necessary in her fight. Recently, her hair started thinning as a result of chemotherapy, but the 6th-grader took it in stride and bravely asked her father to shave her head.

It's this positive outlook, this overwhelming willingness to take on the illness headstrong, that has inspired her entire community. LaRosa is a former member of the Warrington Fire Company, which sponsored a Shave-a-thon at their station on Tuesday to help raise funds for Paige and her family.

"[Shane's] wife Julie is a member of the auxiliary, so the family is still very much involved in the organization," said Mike Bean, Chief of the Warrington Fire Company. "We decided to take this task on ourselves and run with it."

Many fellow firefighters are joining Paige's side and participating in the Shave-a-thon, just further proof of a community rallying around a girl in need of support. A girl who, in a matter of days, went from playing sports and learning karate to competing against a different enemy.

Paige has finished one round of chemotherapy, and was brought to CHOP last Friday morning for the second round. She'll have four rounds in total, ideally spread out every 21 days. She also goes to the hospital for chemo follow-ups, blood tests and any other issue that may be minor to most people but could affect her ability to undergo chemo.

It's a lot for a family to go through alone. Thankfully, the LaRosas have not had that problem. 

"As a family, we want to express our gratitude to everybody who's been involved in this process, to make it as big as it is, with prayers and everything else," LaRosa concluded. "It's been overwhelming in a positive way."

Shane cautioned all parents to "stick to their guts if their child has something wrong." He added that parents know their kids better than anyone else.  

But with every sentence, the same word kept coming to his lips. Overwhelming. It doesn't always have to be a negative word. In the case of Paige LaRosa's valiant battle against ovarian cancer, and the community's willingness to help in any way possible, the word truly is a manifestation of hope, help and hospitality for all parties involved.

Police are searching for a man who they say robbed a Philadelphia 7-Eleven and then returned the stolen money.

The masked suspect entered the 7-Eleven on the 6700 block of North 5th Street in the East Oak Lane section of the city Tuesday at 2:30 a.m., investigators said.

The suspect approached the counter to make a purchase and then demanded money from the employee while handing over a bag, according to police.

After the employee placed cash inside the bag, the suspect started to flee but then noticed a parked police car outside, officials said.

The suspect then allegedly went to the back of the store and gave the money back to the employee before fleeing south on 5th Street. The employee was not injured during the incident.

The suspect is described as a stocky man standing 6-foot-3. Police say he was wearing a two tone gray/black hooded jacket, dark-colored pants with gray stripes and a black mask covering the lower part of his face.

If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call the Northwest Detective Division at 215-686-3353/3354.
 

A man who allegedly threatened a SEPTA bus driver with a knife last month surrendered to police.

John McMillan, 40, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats and other related offenses.

Police say McMillan was standing in the walking area of a SEPTA route 23 bus at Germantown and Erie avenues back on March 21 at 305 p.m. When the 26-year-old bus driver told him to move so that other passengers could walk through, McMillan allegedly became angry and pulled out a knife, threatening the driver.

McMillan then left the bus and fled on Erie Avenue, officials said. No one was injured during the incident.

McMillan turned himself in at East Detectives Tuesday at noon after seeing himself on local news stations, according to police.
 

SPCA officials are working to remove three horses that were found living in a dirty and dangerous lot in Southwest Philadelphia.

A viewer tipped NBC10 off about three horses that were being kept in a lot along the 5500 block of Grays Avenue.

NBC10 reached out to SPCA officials who discovered the horses living in a lot with a crumbling shed in the back and fecal matter on the ground.

“The back of the building is pretty well-blown out,” said George Bengal of the SPCA. “I think there are some L&I violations there. It looks like it’s ready to fall down.”

The owner of the horses, Derrick Hamm, told NBC10 he had bought the horses because he wants to start a riding school for children in his neighborhood.

“I enjoy it so I’m trying to give back to the community,” Hamm said. “Keep them off the street and give them something to do. Something positive.”

SPCA officials say the horses were malnourished when Hamm bought them but are actually in better shape now since they were placed in his care. The real problems however are the deplorable living conditions.

“No grass, no hay, no anything,” said Nikki Millard, a Southwest Philly resident. “When it rains they’re out in the rain.”

Hamm admits he’s gotten behind when it comes to caring for the horses and says he needs help. He also told NBC10 he understands why the SPCA believes the living conditions are unsuitable.

“I understand,” Hamm said. “I agree with them. But like I said, if somebody could help we can get it done tonight.”

SPCA officials are obtaining a search warrant and plan on moving the horses out.

“I’m so excited because the horses were being deprived,” said Queda Millard, another Southwest Philly resident. “There’s no shelter. The debris was falling down. Now they put all that junk in there. That’s horrible!”

Hamm is currently trying to find another place for the horses to go. SPCA officials say he’ll be able to keep the animals if he finds a suitable home for them that meets their standards.

A man was shot by police after he allegedly stabbed his parents inside a Mercer County home.

Police were called to a home on the 1600 block of Nottinghill Lane in Hamilton Township shortly before 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. When they arrived they found a 36-year-old man who had stabbed his mother and father, both 54-years-old, investigators said.

Police said they told the suspect repeatedly to drop the knife but he refused to do so. They then shot the man to stop him from stabbing his father even more. 

The suspect and his parents were taken to the Capital Health Regional Medical Center. Officials have not yet revealed their conditions.

For the first time in eight years, Vito Maglio’s family watched him dance in his son’s wedding video. It’s a humorous moment in Vito’s life captured on film that’s helping his loved ones cope with tragedy.

“Knowing that we’re never gonna have him here again to see him, it’s almost like, I’m grateful that we do have this so we can look at it,” said Vito’s daughter Lucia Maglio.

Vito was found dead Friday in the Schuylkill River after disappearing last year.

The 69-year-old Philadelphia man was last seen leaving Macaroni’s Restaurant Lounge on Old Bustleton Avenue around 6 p.m. back on Dec. 14. Only two days later, police found his 2008 GMC Yukon on the 5800 block of North Beechwood Street.

Investigators said the vehicle had been on fire but the flames were extinguished. Police also say a pool of blood was under the driver's seat and a shell casing inside.

“How did the car get up there?” Lucia asked. “What happened? That’s when we really started getting upset because then it was like, ‘Here’s the car, but where is he?’”

On Friday, Maglio’s nude body was spotted by a passer-by floating in the Schuylkill River near the U.S. 1 highway overpass in East Falls around 4 p.m. Police say Maglio died from multiple gunshots to the head and his death was ruled a homicide.

Lucia told NBC10 her father didn’t have any enemies that she knew of.

“He was a very well-liked person,” she said. “Everybody knew him. But he was also a generous person and he liked to help people in any way that he could.”

For Lucia, who is set to get married in a few months, watching her father dance in her brother’s wedding video is truly bittersweet.

“It’s hard for me because in six months I’m gonna be doing the same thing and he’s not gonna be here with me,” she said while in tears. “It’s tough but it is those memories that we are gonna hold onto.”

No arrests have been made and police have not released information on any suspects. As the investigation continues, Lucia has a message for the person or people responsible for her father’s death.

“God will have to take care of you when your time comes,” she said. “Everything is full circle and karma will have her way.”

If you have any information on Maglio's death, please call Philadelphia Police.
 

Police are searching for a person who was caught on surveillance video slashing a woman’s vehicle with a butcher’s knife.

The woman, who lives on Newland Street in the Roxborough section of the city, told NBC10 her Mini Cooper was first vandalized in July of last year after a person placed nails in the tires.

The vandalism continued last October when someone put Superglue on her car’s door locks. A vandal then drove nails into three more of her tires in February.

The woman finally installed a surveillance camera outside her home. On March 22, the surveillance video captured a masked person in a trench coat using a 12-inch butcher’s knife to slash the tires, windows, roof and all sides of her car. In all, the vandalism caused $4,000 in damage, according to the woman.

Investigators are having trouble identifying the suspect because his or her face is not visible in the video. If you have any information on the culprit’s identity, please call Philadelphia Police.
 

A man landed in the hospital in serious condition after he flipped his all-terrain vehicle while driving along a Northeast Philadelphia street Thursday morning.

The ATV came to a rest against a metal fence behind a home along Magee Avenue, not far from Algard Street in the city’s Mayfair section shortly before 11 a.m.

After the wreck, medics rushed the rider to Aria Torresdale Hospital where the 38-year-old driver was treated for severe head trauma..

No word on what caused the man to lose control of his four-wheeler but accident investigators said it appeared he flipped three times.

It is illegal to drive an ATV on any city streets, sidewalks, parks or recreation centers, according to Philadelphia Police.

Carmelo Rosario

UPDATE: Carmelo was found unharmed, according to police. 

Kyle Kelly

Kyle Kelly, 13, was last seen on Friday, March 27 at Wayne Academy School, on the 5500 block of Wayne Ave. in the city's Germantown section. He usually takes the "K" SEPTA bus to his home on the 2900 block of West French St. after school, but failed to do so on Friday.

Kyle is 5'4", 100 pounds with brown eyes and gold-colored hair. He also has braces.

He was last seen wearing a blue colored shirt and navy pants.

Anyone with information on Kyle's whereabouts is urged to call Central Detectives at 215-686-3093 or 3094.

Jerry Joyce

Jerry Joyce, 58, was last seen at his residence in the Nova Nursing Home located on the 1700 block of Ellsworth Street Friday, March 27 before being reported missing.

Jerry, who suffers from schizophrenia and requires daily medication, was permitted to stay out Friday night until Saturday, March 28, but never returned.

Jerry is 5”8, 200 pounds with brown eyes, short black hair and a mustache. He was last seen wearing a red and black plaid shirt, dark sweatpants, a gray headed sweatshirt and a dark knit cap. 

He has gone missing in the past, but always returned, according to police. Jerry is known to frequent the 1700 Spruce St. and 1700 Washington Ave. area. 

Anyone with information on Jerry’s whereabouts is asked to call the South Detective Division at 215-686-3013.

Stephanie Caraballo

UPDATE: Stephanie was found safe, according to her family. 

Rachael Lynn Manzo

UPDATE: Rachael was found safe in Florida and is in FBI custody, according to police.

It looks like even the pope has to diet.

Pope Francis has been ordered to cut back on his pasta consumption in order to improve his health, his doctors told one of Italy’s leading news services.

Francis has been restricted to only two meals of pasta each week, ANSA reported. He has also been advised to walk more in order to shed some pounds, which will take stress off his lower back.

His doctors also told ANSA that the 78-year-old’s weekly schedule stays so packed that even a person half his age would be worn out by it.

During an appearance on “Today,” Cardinal Timothy Dolan had his own advice for the Pope.

“Holy Father, you said you always listen to your cardinals," said Dolan, the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. "Listen to me: Get a new doctor!”

News of Francis' pasta predicament comes after he told Mexican broadcaster Televisa in an interview that he wishes he could go get another carb-heavy food and not get spotted.

"The only thing I'd like to do is to be able to go out one day without anyone recognizing me and go get a pizza," Francis said, laughing.

A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed that the American public has an overwhelmingly positive view of Francis.

Philadelphia Police hope someone recognizes a burglar caught on camera stealing valuable items and cash from Aisha’s Threading Salon in the Rittenhouse section of the city last week.

Surveillance Video shows a suspect, a 50 year-old man with a medium build in a hooded jacket going into the Aisha’s at 2017 Walnut Street and leaving with merchandise.

Employees of the salon had locked up for the night on March 17 only to find the door forced open the next morning with items and cash missing.

The suspect remained at large and unidentified Thursday.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Philadelphia Police.

A damaged telephone pole swaying in the wind next to a busy Burlington County, New Jersey roadway forced officials to detour traffic from the area on Friday afternoon.

The cracked pole was located along Route 73 Southbound near Stiles Avenue in Maple Shade, state police tell NBC10.

Winds gusting up to 40 mph in the area caused the wooden pole to move back and forth.

Concerned it would fall onto the roadway and hit vehicles driving by, police shut down the southbound lanes of the road around 2 p.m. The northbound lanes were also closed for about two hours.

The road was reopened to traffic around 4:15 p.m.

It was one of the most creative April Fools' jokes we saw all day. The Philadelphia Police Department announced #ProjectLiftOff via its social media accounts. 

The announcement unveiled a new policing initiative to issue jet packs to all officers, "for use on daily patrol."

Gov. Chris Christie has pardoned a Philadelphia woman facing gun charges and jail time after a routine traffic stop in New Jersey in 2013.

The Republican governor announced the reprieve on Thursday.

Shaneen Allen was arrested in October 2013 in Hamilton Township in southern New Jersey after telling a state trooper she had a handgun and a concealed carry permit.

New Jersey did not recognize the Pennsylvania permit and she was arrested and charged under the state's strict gun laws.

Christie's decision won quick praise from the National Rifle Association, which said he did the right thing.

Christie said at a recent town hall meeting he would consider changing the state's gun laws, but the Democratic Legislature has no appetite for that and instead he'll do what's in his purview, like pardons.