West Mifflin Army cadet hoping to get cancer-stricken grandmother to New York graduation ceremony

PITTSBURGH — The importance of family is something U.S. Army junior cadet Brandon Yarnovich, has never taken for granted.

After losing both of his parents before turning 4 years old, Yarnovich spent the past 16 years being raised his grandmother, Betty Yarnovich, in West Mifflin. For many of those years, his childhood dream was to become as Army officer and serve the homeland.

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With that dream nearly fulfilled, another dream has emerged for the young cadet.

Brandon Yarnovich, who is stationed at West Point military academy in New York, is just a little over a year away from his graduation ceremony and he is fighting an uphill battle to have his grandmother present at his ceremony.

“No one in our family graduated from college,” Brandon Yarnovich said. “It was big news for me to get into West Point.”

In October, Betty Yarnovich, 71, was diagnosed with bladder cancer and has been in and out of Pittsburgh-area hospitals in an effort to fight for her life.

For over 35 years, Betty Yarnovich worked in the McKeesport area waitress at Eat’n Park and her late husband worked in the steel industry.

“The only thing that keeps her going is the idea of seeing me graduate,” Brandon Yarnovich said. “She’s the reason why I’m going to be an army officer.”

In an effort to help his grandmother receive treatment and attend his New York graduation ceremony, Brandon Yarnovich has started a GoFundMe account to help with piling medical expenses.

"My grandmother is only family I have left. She has a lot of life left to live," Brandon Yarnovich told Channel 11's Tony Atkins.

In less than 24 hours, the account has raised over $6,000 from people looking to aid in the cause. Brandon Yarnovich will graduate from the academy in May 2017.

WPXI