Posted at 10:34 a.m., Monday, November 19, 2001

Boy cancer victim to appear on 'Rosie'

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Staff Writer

Rochan Pinho, an 11-year-old cancer victim who raised more than $6,000 for Sept. 11 victims, will appear next month on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" in New York City.

Pinho will be part of a Dec. 4 show that honors child heroes from across the country, his father, Michael, said.

Rochan began raising the money by making and selling patriotic buttons in local shopping malls after the Sept. 11 attack.

His dream of raising more than $10,000 and presenting the money to victims on the O'Donnell show was cut short when investigators from the state's Child Protective Services began investigating a complaint that the fund-raising was endangering and exploiting Rochan. The office has since allowed Rochan to resume soliciting funds.

Last month Rochan, who suffers from inoperable brain and spinal cancer, presented a check for more than $5,000 to a New York state trooper who had been vacationing in Hawai'i.

"Now, he'll finally get his dream of going to New York and giving the rest of the money he has raised," Michael Pinho said. Rochan has raised more than $1,000 since restarting his fund-raising campaign and hopes to add another $9,000 before he his finished.

Pinho, who will accompany his son on the flight to New York, said Rochan has also accepted an invitation to turn on the lights at the city's annual Christmas Lighting ceremony at Tamarind Park Nov. 29.