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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

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Zach Berger. Photo courtesy of Dinah Berger

By Rita J. Egan

Friends are rallying around an Elwood-John H. Glenn High School student to raise money for his medical treatment.

In July, doctors diagnosed high school senior Zach Berger with Ewing sarcoma, a rare and aggressive pediatric cancer. As soon as they heard the news, his mother’s friends, Carolyn O’Brien and Courtney Presti, along with Berger’s friend and O’Brien’s son Joseph Pontieri, set up a GoFundMe page to raise $50,000 to help offset medical costs and ease financial strains.

Berger’s mother, Dinah, said his family, which includes his dad David and older sister Katrina, was surprised and touched when they heard about the GoFundMe campaign. 

Photo courtesy of Dinah Berger

In addition to donations, Berger’s friends and their families have been showing their support in various ways. His mother said a friend’s father who owns a diner has regularly brought them food since he heard the news.

“We have a saying, ‘Elwood Strong,’ and they’ve really proven it,” Dinah Berger said, adding she couldn’t thank the community enough.

The fundraising campaign organizers are using the hashtag #elwoodstrong as well as #zachattack, which O’Brien said has been used when Berger is wrestling.

“It was fitting to this situation — to attack it head on,” O’Brien said.

The family friend said the 17-year-old is always looking to help out.

“He walks in [the house], and if he sees the garbage is full, he just goes and takes the garbage out,” O’Brien said. 

Dinah Berger said her son was in terrible pain one day, and she brought him to Huntington Hospital. Doctors first thought he had kidney stones, but tests found none. A CT scan was ordered after a urine test showed a small amount of blood. When the scan was analyzed, the top part of a tumor could be seen. 

An MRI taken at an outpatient facility confirmed the tumor, and the mother took her son to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. It was there the family received hope from Berger’s oncologist Dr. Leonard Wexler, even though Dinah Berger said it has been difficult.

Zach Berger. Photo courtesy of Dinah Berger

Due to Zach Berger’s treatments, the incoming senior will be unable to attend school when it begins in September, according to his mother. In addition to being an honor student, he has been a member of the high school football and wrestling teams. Earlier this year, he placed in the county championships for wrestling.

“We all have our moments, but he’s been trying to be really brave,” Dinah Berger said. “It’s a lot for a 17-year-old to know they’re going to be hit with this.”

His mother, who is divorced from Berger’s father and works part time at two small companies, will take time off from work as her son will need to be taken back and forth to the city for chemotherapy and doctor appointments at MSK. In addition to chemotherapy, his treatment will possibly include surgery and radiation.

“One of the oncologists said this is a full-time job,” she said.

Dinah Berger said there is a possibility that a room will open up at the Ronald McDonald House where they can stay, and eventually the goal is for her son to receive treatment at Sloan’s Commack location.

The mother said the family recently received good news when a PET scan showed that the tumor had not metastasized.

“It’s the happiest news I have had in my life,” she said. “The whole thing is horrible and a nightmare, at least that gave me some hope.”

As of Aug. 1, 205 donations — totaling $16,000 of the $50,000 goal — have been collected. O’Brien said she’s not surprised.

“He’s one of those kids that everyone likes,” she said. “If you were going to support or donate to any family, this would be the family to donate to.”

For more information or to donate, visit www.gofundme.com/f/hsf9ja-zachattack.

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Photo by Arianna Felber
Photo by Arianna Felber
Photo by Arianna Felber
Photo by Arianna Felber
Photo by Arianna Felber
Photo by Arianna Felber

A Smithtown East sophomore has used her love for photography to raise money for a cause close to her heart.

During May, 15-year-old Arianna Felber took part in a Front Porch Project. The goal is to take photos of people outside their front door to commemorate the time spent at home during the coronavirus pandemic. In turn, the photographer’s fee is donated to a charity.

The Nesconset resident has been interested in photography for a few years, she said, and when she turned 13, her mother, Shannon Buscemi, gave her a Nikon D3400. Arianna said she hopes one day her hobby will lead to a career as a fashion photographer.

The sophomore said she started to see porch photos trending on social media, and then a friend of her mother’s asked if Arianna heard about the pictures. The sophomore said she thought it would be a good way to spread awareness about COVID-19.

Arianna said she knew right from the start she would donate the proceeds to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s pediatric patients, as her younger sister Stefani is a cancer survivor. The 12-year-old, who has been cancer-free for more than two years, battled brain cancer since she was a baby and received treatment at Sloan in Manhattan.

Her mother reached out to a connection who put them in touch with a representative for Kids Walk for MSK Kids. The mother and daughter then set up an online link that would allow families to donate the suggested contribution of $10 directly to the pediatric patients helped by Kids Walk for MSK Kids. Arianna said out of the nearly 60 families that she took photos of, many donated more than the suggested $10 and she even received a $100 donation. Her original goal was to raise $1,000 but she surpassed that milestone, and at press time was anticipating raising more than $2,000.

“It makes me beyond happy,” Arianna said. “I’m just so happy that everyone loves the pictures which makes me feel good about my work, but besides that, I’m so happy to be raising money for such an amazing cause and spreading awareness about COVID-19 and giving back to the hospital that saved my sister’s life.”

As more friends found out about her initiative, Arianna’s project took her throughout Smithtown township, and she even traveled out east to Miller Place. Once she got to the subjects’ homes, she stayed outside and photographed them from 6 feet away or more, which she said she needs to do with her zoom lens anyway. She took approximately 10 photos at each home taking pictures of the whole family first and then with just the parents together and a couple of only the children.

Neighbor Denise Prudente said she was pleased with the photos taken of her, her husband, Joe, and their two children.

“It was a beautiful project that my family and I were proud to be a part of,” Prudente said.

The neighbor said she wasn’t surprised when she heard Arianna, who she has known since the teenager was a baby, was using her love of photography to raise money for Sloan. She said Arianna is a hard worker who possesses qualities such as integrity, good listening skills, high energy, perseverance and more, “that make her stand apart from her peers.”

Arianna said the pandemic and her project have left her with a valuable life lesson.

“Seeing how everybody is reinventing themselves and their lives since everything is changing, as I don’t think anything is going back to normal for a while,” she said. “I think it’s crazy to see how different it is yet how together everybody is.”

 

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At the Jan. 1 fundraiser, Patti Kozlowski, left with tie-dye shirt, Danielle Warsaw, Kate HIggins, Tara HIggins, flanked by Warsaw’s four daughters. The HIggins said the family showed real strength after the tragedy of their father passing. Photo from Kozlowski

On New Year’s Day, Tara Inn in Port Jefferson was flooded with people, from young children to adults, people from Port Jefferson to people in Brentwood, all to support a family who lost their father from cancer.

Locals and attendees helped raise close to $20,000 for the Warsaw family of Manor Park. Wayne Warsaw, a teacher and football coach in the Brentwood school district, died Dec 8. at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. He had only received news of his diagnosis of neuroendocrine cancer 30 days before he passed.

His family, which includes his wife Danielle and four young girls, all attended the fundraiser. One of the children had also battled and fought off cancer at a young age.

Tara and Kate Higgins, whose family owns Tara Inn, said well over 100 people came to the event. Funds were raised through raffles and T-shirt sales. On those shirts there was a quote from Wayne Warsaw saying, “Life’s too short, do what you love and do it with all your heart.”

The Higgins normally provide the food and drink for the fundraiser, absorbing the cost to the business themselves. Bartenders also donate their time and tips. The place was packed “wall-to-wall,” said Kate Higgins, who helps run the restaurant full time.

“It was great to see Port Jeff and the businesses go out for this.”

– Kathleen Barber Mercante

Other businesses in the community also donated their time and efforts to the event. Just a few examples include Terryville’s Port Jeff Sports, which donated shirts, Butcher Boy in Mount Sinai donated food and Joe DeNicola, the owner of Ruvo in Port Jeff and Del Fuego in St. James, donated gift cards for the raffles.

Brentwood’s South Middle School Assistant Principal Kathleen Barber Mercante, a Port Jefferson resident, also thanked all the people who donated their time for the event.

“It was great to see Port Jeff and the businesses go out for this,” she said at a Jan. 6 village meeting. 

Patti Kozlowski, who runs the grassroots community organization North Shore Neighbors Helping Hands, learned about the family through their GoFundMe, which as of now has raised over $19,000 for the family. Her group normally helps local families fight cancer, and so she reached out to the person organizing the GoFundMe and brought it to Higgins’ attention.

She said that once Danielle Warsaw learned about her husband’s diagnosis “all bets were off.”

The night of the fundraiser was filled with both Tara Inn regulars, who often support the restaurant’s fundraisers, and of many friends, family and community members of the Manor Park family.

“It was a complete cross section of the community,” Kozlowski said. “It warms my heart to bring so many aspects of their community together.”

The Higgins family has had generations now of providing such fundraisers. Joseph Higgins was honored by TBR News Media in 2017 for his help in getting over $15,000 for Hurricane Harvey relief, along with years of other fundraisers including for the employees of Billie’s 1890 Saloon after a devastating fire. Previous fundraisers held at Tara Inn also helped the Port Jefferson School District with over $7,000 to construct their veterans memorial outside the high school.

“We try to do it for an individual or family rather than a major organization — they get all the funds,” Tara Higgins said.

Her sister agreed that it was less of a generally nice thing to do, but more of an obligation.

“I almost feel like it’s our responsibility, that the community has supported this business for over 40 years, it’s just a small way we can pay back,” Kate Higgins said. 

 

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A photo of Julia Diane Wilson is surrounded by her cousin, Ava Felice; Anna Lanze, and Julia’s best friend, Heidi Lanze. Photo by Donna Newman

Ten-year-old Julia Diane Wilson of Sound Beach lost her battle with acute lymphocytic leukemia two years ago this week.

Family and friends — both old and new — marked the anniversary with the second annual Team Julia — Fight Like a Girl memorial fundraiser held Aug. 21 at Stony Brook Yacht Club.

Mary Byrne, holding her son, Declan, who sports a Team Julia T-shirt. Photo by Donna Newman
Mary Byrne, holding her son, Declan, who sports a Team Julia T-shirt. Photo by Donna Newman

Julia’s grandparents, Dan and Diane Donahue, are longtime Setauket residents and this is the second year the fundraiser was hosted by the yacht club, where they are members.

The building was filled with supporters of all ages, from infants to senior citizens. Gift baskets were raffled off, T-shirts were sold and donations were accepted. Led by Julia’s parents and grandparents, the event seemed more a celebration of the girl’s life and spirit rather than a memorial.

This support group was an outgrowth of Julia’s compassion for others. Even while undergoing treatment herself, she wanted to make things better for the children around her. So the adults in her life committed to doing just that for Julia.

“Grandma, when I get better … Mommy, when I get better … we have to help these kids,” Diane Donahue recalled her granddaughter saying. She spoke of creating things at the hospital and watching Julia bring them to the child in the next bed, hoping to make him or her smile. “She was a true jewel — way beyond her years,” she said.

Team Julia is all about supporting children and their parents. They create goody bags to distribute at Stony Brook Children’s hospital. They help parents pay bills, and stock the pantry at the hematology/oncology clinic at the hospital with easy meals and snacks to help families through the long chemotherapy and infusion days. They also plan to feed families at Ronald McDonald House. Last year Julia’s father Dave Wilson said they created a prom for the children at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the city, bringing in lots of dresses for the girls to wear.

Brian Donahue shows off a spider on his face. Photo by Donna Newman
Brian Donahue shows off a spider on his face. Photo by Donna Newman

Julia’s mother Erin Wilson wants to start a group for bereaved parents. She feels there isn’t enough support for the grieving process, as losing a child to cancer usually involves months and months of treatment and hope.

Julia’s grandmother said the group considers educating the public, including representatives and senators in the U.S. Congress, another one of its top priorities.

“I don’t think anybody’s aware of it until they are in it,” Diane Donahue said. “And when you’re in it, it’s not a group you want to belong to, but I’ll tell you what, you can make a difference.”

She joined the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, sent messages to her congressman and lobbied the folks who control the lighting on the Empire State Building to light it up gold, the color symbolizing pediatric cancers. “They’ve made it other colors, but they won’t make it gold for the children,” she said.

According to the National Institute of Health’s website focusing on childhood cancers, an estimated 10,380 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in children aged birth to 14 in the U.S. this year. More than 1,200 children are expected to die from the disease. Pediatric cancer death rates have declined by nearly 70 percent over the past 40 years, but cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease among children.

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