Celebrated Cancer Patient Dies After Six-Year Struggle
06-06-1996 Times Picayune

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Leslie Ann-Marie Minet, a seventh-grader at Visitation of Our Lady Catholic
School in Marrero, died Tuesday of brain cancer at her home after a six-year
battle with the disease. She was 13.

Miss Minet was a lifelong resident of the West Bank.

In 1994, she decided to forgo further cancer treatment because of the
debilitating side effects. Shortly thereafter, her school's Peer Connection
Group gave her money it raised from a raffle to help defray some of her
medical costs.

Miss Minet was a member of her school's Drama Club and participated in the
Children's Miracle Network Telethon and the Louisiana Sportsman Invitational
Fishing Rodeo.

She also was active in Camp Challenge, a two-week stay at Camp Whispering
Pines in Independence that her mother sponsored to thank people for donating
more than 80 units of blood in her daughter's name.

One of Miss Minet's drawings was chosen as the cover of the official Christmas
card for the Blood Bank of Louisiana in 1993.

Miss Minet was featured on two episodes of the CBS television program "Dr.
Quinn, Medicine Woman" when she went to visit actor Shawn Toovey. The two met
through the "My Good Friend" pen-pal program. They appeared on a segment of
"The Oprah Winfrey Show" devoted to special friendships.

She also appeared on "Entertainment Tonight" and reigned as princess of the
Grand Prix du Mardi Gras auto race in New Orleans.

Archbishop Shaw High School's football team adopted her as the team mascot,
and head coach Hank Tierney gave her a football autographed by the team.

Survivors include her father, Paul Anthony Minet; her mother, Roxane Wattigney
Minet; a sister, Cherie Elizabeth Minet; and her grandparents, Huey J.
Wattigney Sr., Beverly Hebert Butera and Anne Hymel Minet Rodrigue.

A wake will be held today from 6 p.m. to midnight at Westside Funeral Home,
5101 West Bank Expressway, Marrero. A Mass will be said Friday at 10:30 a.m.
at Visitation of Our Lady Catholic Church, 3500 Ames Blvd., Marrero. Burial
will be in Westlawn Cemetery in Gretna.