Style My Summer Winner: Orlanda Bastianelli

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Congratulations to Orlanda Bastianelli. She is the first of four winners in the News 9 Style My Summer Contest.

Bastianelli has won a $500 shopping spree along with makeover from Anthony David Salon.

Bastianelli was nominated by her mother, Glenda Murray and her brother, Mark Bastianelli. And we could not have picked a more deserving person. Truly beautiful on the inside and out, our team along with her family surprised Bastianelli Wednesday afternoon.

A mom and devoted sister, Bastianelli has helped her brother Mark in every way possible in his battle against cancer. Despite suffering from her own health issues, her family told us "she is always there with a smile, encouragement, and hugs."

Read the essay submitted by her mother below:

Orlanda is my daughter, 40 years old mother of a 11 year old daughter. She has 5 brothers (one is deceased). She has FSH muscular dystrophy. She is trying to work as long as her health will let her and she has many rough days but having a child to support (without child support for the past few months) she just keeps pushing ahead. The main reason for this letter is that her oldest brother was diagnosed with lung and brain cancer in February of this year. When they sent him to OSU Medical she met him there and stayed around the clock. when they did surgery on his brain to remove a tumor she was at the hospital alone waiting to hear how it went (I am in a wheelchair and was not able to get to the hospital). Since she is so close to her family this was extremely stressful to her. She has taken over her brothers life until he is able to resume normal activity. she manages all his insurance paper work..meets with his Doctors..meets him at the hospital when he has radiation or chemo bringing him lunch and anything else he wants. she has made sure he has all the things he needs to make his life comfortable..such as new recliner, larger TV (his eyesight is affected), the foods he craves, and the foods that he needs, keeps up to date on all his medicine.

She has made numerous trips to Perkins to see her brother and make sure all is okay..she has made sure all his bills are paid sometimes the money comes out of her pocket. she is just always there with a smile,,encouragement, hugs . She is just an amazing woman. She will do for others before she will do for herself and has made many sacrifices making sure her family has their needs. In doing all of this she stills calls me almost daily to see how things are and how I am doing (I also have FSH and am in a wheelchair)..she has 2 great nieces that she has tried to make sure they have a good summer ..keeping them overnight..going to the movies..swimming..shopping..Her Dad had a stroke a couple years ago and once again she stayed with him 24/7 till he recovered then helped him settle at home..get on disability..learn to eat right...made sure he kept his Dr appts...cleaned his house..shopped for healthy foods...

She is just an amazing woman doing all of this and still trying to hold her job and raise her daughter and sometimes her health suffers but she never complains about anything and is always there for all of us day or night. God truly blessed this family with her and I would love to see her have a day for herself filled with joy and love.