Holiday spirit helps local family
Published on December 20th, 2006
STONEHAM, MA - Part of the beauty of Christmas lies in the ideal that for a period of a few weeks each year, we come to expect a little more of ourselves and others. It is the season that reminds us that peace on earth and goodwill to all is what we should be living the whole year through.
Examples of living such a life are all around. We can't always see them because they are often done quietly and without fanfare, for the purpose of good and not recognition, and because they tend to be overshadowed by more popular and sensationalized bad news. Yet there is nothing more inspirational and exemplifying than bearing witness to acts of kindness, selflessness, sacrifice, and goodness that allows others to prosper.
For nearly two years now, a group of parishioners at St. Patrick Church, under the magnanimous direction of a special few, including Stoneham residents Sister Mary Lou Cassidy and Gene Argiro, along with friends and associates, has been giving its time, money, sweat, and devotion to a parish family who has been blessed with the gifts of faith and family, but whose hardships over the past nearly ten years have been trying.
The Person family, long time parishioners of St. Patrick's, has been in dire need of a renovation of their Wakefield home to accommodate some very special needs. Nichole and Mike Person have four beautiful children. Their youngest, 9-year old Maria, was born with Toriello-Carey syndrome, a rare disease that affects the brain and lungs, and severely limits motion. Maria spent the first year of her life in the hospital, and has endured over 30 surgeries since, including open heart surgery at one week old, a tracheostomy, cleft lip and palate surgeries, feeding tube insertion, and more. The disease has also caused partial blindness and hearing loss, and has made her largely dependent on her wheelchair.
Costly and vital improvements to their home have been put off for years now, but additional space for Maria's wheelchair to navigate the narrow doorways and quaint rooms of the nearly 100 year old home, have become necessary. The house had to be converted for handicap accessibility with more space for Maria's medical equipment, including a wheelchair, specialized seating, hospital bed, oxygen, monitors, as well as her communication equipment, as the youngster strives to learn sign language and other modes of communication. But the family has been faced with further adversity, leaving them little time, energy, or resources to take on a home renovation.
Nichole Person was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the time of Maria's birth. She was treated with surgery, but one year later, the cancer had spread to her lungs. It was stage four cancer; she was told to go home and call hospice. That too was nearly ten years ago. Nichole has endured four recurrences with the cancer continuing to invade her lungs, but with support from her family, her community and her faith, she has never given up.
"The cancer continues to come back, and we continue to win this battle...I have been in chemo for the last two years. Through it I have lost my hair, but not my will."
Both mother and daughter have defied many odds. While Maria was initially given just weeks to live, she has beaten all expectations of the medical community. She is currently enrolled at the Perkins School for the Blind, and receives weekly horseback riding therapy in Andover to help her with gait, posture and feeding. She has recently learned to walk short distances in her walker, but relies mostly on her wheelchair. Through the years, during rounds of Nichole's cancer treatments, the family has continued to learn more about Maria's condition and has triumphed with her for each milestone she has reached. This family has clearly chosen to dwell on its blessings.
But Maria remained limited to where she could go in her own home. Because of space restrictions, she had to be carried to her upstairs bedroom and all other points of the home where the wheelchair could not navigate. Nichole became less and less able to carry her daughter, and during her cancer treatments, it has become increasingly evident that a comfortable resting place for her to rebuild her strength to tend to her family was needed.
Mike Person has been the quiet backbone of the family whose positive outlook and energy seemingly never gives out, despite the fact that, like so many in the high tech industry, he fell victim to the downsizing trend and lost his job and benefits for a period of time. It was Mike's sister who first brought up the home renovation idea, and she got St. Patrick Parish on board to rally for the Person family's bid for consideration on the popular ABC program Extreme Makeover, Home Edition. When that didn't pan out, Sister Mary Lou presented a plan B to the parish.
"We would do it ourselves," she said.
That is when members of the parish, as well as those outside the parish, showed their true colors. Fundraisers were held and lots of talent was volunteered, from builders and seamstresses to electricians and suppliers.
Argiro listened to Sister. Mary Lou speak about the project at Mass one week and immediately volunteered to help out.
"I felt like it was a situation where they were in dire straits. I wanted to help make their lives easier."
Argiro explained that a 42 foot x 14 foot addition was constructed to the home which will give the Person family two first floor bedrooms, one for Maria and one for her parents. In addition, a handicapped equipped bathroom and first floor laundry room were built, as well as a deck with a ramp leading from the house to the sidewalk. The town of Wakefield put in a curb cut for Maria's wheelchair. The Person's modest kitchen was expanded and, as Nichole puts it "Maria will now be able to decide on her own where she wants to go, and to go there!"
According to Argiro, it has been a long, but rewarding project. Although he wishes it could have progressed a little more quickly, as project coordinator he is pushing to get the majority of work done by Christmas. There is still much to do in less than a week, including installation of cabinets, hardwood flooring, and appliances in the kitchen along with a few odds and ends, and finishing work. A refrigerator must be purchased as well.
"It's been rewarding to know that we're helping them and making their home more accessible for Maria and easier for Nichole," he said.
Sister Mary Lou credits other volunteers too for major labor contributions including Tim Harrington, Bill Doherty, Tom Hagerty, Rob Coles, Steve Kelly and Ezio Laurenzetti, along with friends and relatives each would often bring along to help, and the very many other contributors from St. Patrick Parish and beyond.
"The building experience has been incredible. It has been so wonderful to meet so many big hearted people, all of whom I now consider my friends," Nichole said.
Nichole and Mike Person are long time members of St. Patrick Parish and give of themselves frequently as liturgical ministers and through the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Mike has also played an integral role in outfitting and maintaining the St. Patrick School computer lab.
St. Patrick Parish's mission says "Faith finds expression in service," and that faith is exhibited in various ways daily, though a project of this size is unique.
"It is amazing what folks can do when they come together, said Sister Mary Lou. "We need to be there for each other!"
"One thing that really drives this whole project home for me is the Christmas Spirit...the Spirit that lives throughout St. Patrick church every day," said Nichole.
All donated material and money has been put to good use, but the project has just about run out of funds. Argiro estimated that another $10,000 is needed to complete the project.
If you are interested in donating to completion of the project, checks may be made payable to the Person Family Fund and sent to the The Person Family Fund, c/o The Savings Bank, 357 Main Street, Wakefield, MA 01880. For more information, please contact Sister Mary Lou Cassidy at (781) 438-1040.
"We are truly blessed to have found this parish and community and the people who belong to it," Nichole added. "The words 'thank you' just can't seem to express our appreciation for all that has been done for our family, but we do thank everyone who has been involved in any way. God bless you and Merry Christmas."
Subscribe and get Home Delivery of The Independent
Save 36% off the newstand price — that's like 18 FREE issues!