RAISING FUNDS, RAISING SPIRITS; EQUESTRIAN SHOW DELIGHTS ILL CHILDREN.

Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer

Prancing Andalusian horses and festive folklorico dancers took center stage Saturday at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center but the real stars of the night were the young cancer patients in the audience like 2-year old Angeles Castillo.

When Angeles was diagnosed with leukemia a year ago, her parents, Celia and Joel Castillo, faced the usual storm of confusion and fear, made worse by the fact that the young immigrant couple speaks primarily Spanish. But they had help confronting the foreign medical terms and the emotional turmoil.

``In reality, cancer is a disease that a majority of people don't know much about, but you can overcome it, especially if you have emotional support. A lot of emotional support,'' Joel Castillo, 33, said in Spanish.

For the Castillos, much of that support comes from the nonprofit Padres Contra El Cancer, or Parents Against Cancer, which was also the reason the horses and the dancers were performing Saturday.

Organized to raise funds to help leukemia patients like Angeles, the first annual Fiesta of the Spanish Horse held Saturday night drew 2,500 people for a night of roping, mariachi music and rousing performances by many varieties of horses.

Padres Contra El Cancer is committed to ensuring that Latino families fully understand cancer and all its methods of treatment through parent support groups, educational classes, crisis intervention and counseling. Celia Castillo said that when Angeles was diagnosed it changed their lives.

``Like all families we asked the question, Why did this happen to us?'' the 32-year-old East Los Angeles mother said in Spanish.

The young couple now meets with other families in support group sessions. The group also helps the Castillo family deal with other issues like sibling feelings of neglect.

Since its inception, Padres Contra El Cancer has helped more than 900 Latino families in Los Angeles through its partnership with Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, where its offices are based. Statistics show that Latinos families understand 50 percent less than other families about cancer's effects and methods of treatment, said the group's president, Michael Velazquez.

``We take it to the next level,'' Velazquez said. ``Our vision is to try and create an atmosphere where people can feel confident that this group is committed to their welfare.''

Of the approximately 400 new childhood cancer cases diagnosed annually in Los Angeles, more than 50 percent are Latino children, according to Parents Against Cancer. These children are at higher risk of suffering medical problems because their parents do not speak English, don't know how to access community services and are economically disadvantaged, Velazquez said.

The group operates on a budget of $100,000 annually with one staff member. Velazquez's goal is to expand its staff by increasing the group's budget to $500,000.

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Photo

PHOTO A horse show held Saturday at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center raised funds to aid sick kids.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News