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This Site Is Dedicated To
Donna Marie (Caltagirone) Pollack
December 12th, 1961 to December 15th, 1996
OCTOBER 15TH, 2007 UPDATE PAGE!!
It is now October 15th, 2007. Eleven years since we lost my sister Donna and so much has happened since. Most importantly, we had another child: Garrett J Turizo, on October 7th, 2003 and then moved to Charlotte, NC in 2005.
So much has changed but we have not forgotten my sister. No one has or will. I want to thank the friends that knew her and family that continue to visit this website eleven years later. I do not have the heart to change the website. I know it is very amateurish - remember, I sat with a book in front of my computer ten years ago and created it from scratch using basic HTML. That was not something I had ever done before but I did not leave my desk until your website was finished at around 7:00am - the NEXT morning!
I wanted to leave it the way it was and just add this, an update to the original website, so people know what has changed over the years. I have become even more involved in Breast Cancer support. I no longer just limit myself to finding information and sharing it with the people on my distribution list, I am actively involved in supporting other fighters in this battle.
To PREVENT cancer by finding the cause, FIND a cure, SUPPORT those needing a cure, INFORM those praying for a cure.
Everyone has a job to do in life and whether we like it or not, everyone has an obligation to live for those around them, make a difference with the time we have here, give back and help others. funds to find a cure,
funds to inform and support,
funds to prevent - get to the root cause of cancer so we can stop new cancers from starting!
know this...that root cause is probably our environment as well as genetics so we need to be more open, we need to do "more" in the future
Someone suggested I start a Blog but with everything going on in my life I don't think I have the time to add that to the list to be honest with you! Work, School, Family, Church you name it I'm doing it these days and I would much rather visit Dr. Loves Blog because I DO believe in what that woman is doing for women!
A SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE "SUE'S" IN MY LIFE !!! Kathy C's "SUE" whom I've never met but she brought us together and me into the Servant Leadership Team. It is where I belong now. Life is funny isn't it? When God has a job for you to do as Patty told me recently, he will hound you until you GET THE MESSAGE! Uh, I got it.
SUE Houghtalen: My staunchest supporter, friend you know how much you mean to me, doing what I do today is because of you over the years.
SUSAN G Komen: Komen for the Cure
Dr. SUSAN Love: Loves Army
SUE Friedman: FORCE, Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered
The old 17th Century Definition is one of: "to invest with authority"
If you asked me how I would want to be remembered it would be by one line: perhaps...."She lived her life EMPOWERED!"
FINALLY....The Young Survival Coalition: Not one SUE on the Board or Support staff but they make the list because THESE ladies my sister would support! Donna would have loved the women in the group!
Hey, Donna? You were so afraid you'd be forgotten? Look at how many people know about you now...ELEVEN years later. No one has forgotten you but so many now know who you are! Eleven years later and while it doesn't hurt every single day, it still hurts just as much knowing you are not here to share with when the good things come along. Well, perhaps you aren't here "real-time" I know you are watching everything we do, watching the girls, the boys. You're not alone and neither are we.
Your sister,
and your family.......
TALK ABOUT THE RIPPLE AFFECT....my Uncle Dennis. My Uncle and his family have accomplished something wonderful. One instant, one person, one family - twenty years later a bill gets signed into law...one that is expected to raise more than $3 million a year from a $1 surcharge on motor vehicle penalties to fund research. PLEASE visit his website and if you are in NJ participate in his Annual Walk.
"My Cousin: Dennis John Benigno - Coalition for Brain Injury Research
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OCTOBER 15th, 2007 NEW BLOG!!! YOU ASKED FOR IT...
2006
The initial "J" in Garretts name is representative of J-oseph, J-ohn(Grandpa)and J-ustin.
The power, heritage, in that one letter!
In all the craziness that goes on in this day and age - believe me eleven years has seen quite a lot of global change - we need to stop and take a few minutes to do something for others.
I wanted to end this update by sharing a couple of things with everyone. Anyone that knows me - who doesn't at this point? knows that the following information is not a meant as a pat on my back but to share a validation with you. Since my sisters website has gone up there were two people that communicated with me in the past eleven years that said they found her site during a search. The site moved one of them to begin breast exams and the other to notice something in the appearance of her breast as she was dressing for a wedding. More importantly, the website moved them to DO something about it. Both women found lumps, both times it was cancer, it was Donna's site that led to detection for them. To the best of my knowledge these two, young women are survivors. They emailed me to share this information with me and to credit my sisters website with saving thier lives.
I cannot tell you what that meant to me, it was my reason for being at that moment in time. I knew no matter how difficult it was to accept that bad things happen, sometimes there is a bigger picture. Losing my sister was not in vain. Know this: We did not lose Donna just so those two women could live, but they lived because we lost her. I don't know if everyone will understand what I mean but I suspect many of you will. Even if only two understand it is enough, isn't it?
Finally what I wanted to wrap up with were some of my favorite causes and links because if you know me, you know I support EVERY battle against Cancer! I believe in informing people, getting the word out not just about new research but about services and treatments for those in need. It is not just about "the cure" but about being a "Sister" to women around us. Life is tough girls, women need to support each other because this is very much a battle we fight for all of us and our families!
Eleven years is a long time and I admit that I have evolved quite a bit but I had to in order to keep up with, and ahead of, what was changing. I have seen so many of my favorite causes, and people, rise to the point where they can command millions in donations for research and information. WOW it is truly an evolution in our battle to, remember this:
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT HAS STUCK BY ME THROUGH THIS JOURNEY! My emails, blast communications, causes, fund raisers, Lord, you name it I drove my family and friends crazy with it!
I truly could not have done it without your support, your energy, your love and belief in what I was doing and what I continue to do. Donna is PROOF that ONE PERSON can make a difference. That ripple affect is a beautiful thing isn't it? One action, one movement ....lives touched, changed, saved.
Love and Peace to everyone!
ROBIN
I really do love the word - EMPOWERED - it says a great deal doesn't it?
Then again, I don't seem to have much authority over things in a life with three kids, husband, job, school etc. so perhaps
"She made a difference" would be better and more to the point!
I know, I know, "Shut Up Already!" You always said I was a motor-mouth.
Love,
Robin
Alice Caltagirone and Joseph "Pop" Beotsch
Robert Sr., Robert Jr. and Charlie Caltagirone
Demetrius, Brianna, Alyssa and Garrett Turizo
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