A Guardian Angel in Need

This is Rose Marie Cusumano. 
She is a "Gaurdian Angel" and she needs our help.  I've known Rose Marie for over ten years, first meeting while attending the College of St. Elizabeth's in New Jersey.  At 62, Rose Marie was the oldest student in the program.  It did not take long to see that Rose Marie was such a caring and giving person. 
 
In 2004, while going to college, my mother was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer.  Needless to say, my family and I were devistated by the diagnosis.  I felt so helpless as my parents lived in Florida and I lived in New Jersey.  It was a very stressful time for me and my family.  


Our Guardian Angel
Rose Marie, a devout Catholic, asked for my mother's home address and added my mom to her prayer list.  Shortly thereafter, my mother called me to tell me she received a beautiful card from Rose Marie.  It really lifted my mom's spirit, as it did mine.  But what was more amazing is that Rose Marie (who only met my mom once) sent cards regularly to my mom until my mom passed away eight years later in 2012.  Rose Marie was our "Guardian Angel" - we were convinced that her prayers and cards contributed to my mother living longer than the doctor's expected.  

In 2010, my father was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer that eventually turned into Bone Cancer.  Rose Marie once again put my father's name on prayer lists and began to send him cards to help encourage him through the difficult times.  He was extremely touched by her caring efforts, especially since he did not really know Rose Marie personally.

And then shortly before my mom passed away,  I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.   Rose Marie was there again sending cards and praying for my well-being.  She showed us all how significant her acts of love and kindness were.   But I really did not know about the difficult times that had  she had gone through in her life or what challenges were still to come.

Unbearable Loss
When I met Rose Marie she had been divorced for quite some time.  Money was always tight but that never stopped her from helping family and friends.  Rose Marie had three grown daughters (Kirsten, Corinne and Kathleen) and grandchildren she loved very much.  But life got much harder for Rose Marie.  In  November of 2012, Rose Marie's grandson, Vincent, unexpectidly passed away.  He was only 20 years old. 

(Rose Marie & daughter, Corinne)

Then, in September of 2018, Rose Marie's daughter, Corinne, passed way from an accidental drug overdose.  Losing Corinne was unbearable for Rose Marie.  All I could do was offer her love and support...but I never felt like that was enough.  She missed her daughter and best friend tremendously.  And to make matters more difficult, Rose Marie had to bear the expense of Corinne's funeral as well as inhereted a significant amount of debt that Corinne had incurred.  It was well over $10,000...money she did not have.  Rose Marie had cashed in her 401K and all her savings to help pay some of the debt but eventually, Rose Marie started to fall behind financially.  She was overwhelmed and lost.  By this time, full time work was more difficult to find due to her age.  And though she was able to obtain some part time teaching work,  it was never enough to pay the bills.  

And then, the unthinkable happened.  Rose Marie's other daughter, Kirsten, took her own life at the age of 51 in February of 2020.   Kirsten  was the mother of Rosemarie's grandson, Vincent, who passed away years earlier.  After losing her son and and more recently her fiance due to a massive heart attack, Kirsten just could not bear life any longer.

(Rose Marie's daughter, Kirsten)

And that is when our "Guardian Angel" lost her will.  She had endured too much loss...too much sadness.  When I spoke with Rose Marie after Kirsten's death, she was not the same person.  She was angry, sad and defeated.   There was nothing I could say to change her state of mind, but I was not going to give up on her. 

It was evident that Rose Marie needed significant financial help.  She was not living extravagantly at all but the debt was weighing her down.  And that is why I decided to try a "Go Fund Me" for Rose Marie.  I am hoping that people will read about this amazingly, caring woman, who had so little and yet gave so much to help others.  Whenever I would thank her for what she did for me, she would say it was "nothing" or "it was just a card."  But it was something.  The impact was huge.


Please Give...
Now it is my turn.  Please help me give back to someone who gave so much and lost so much.  Though your financial contributions won't erase the pain from all the loss that Rose Marie has endured, anything you can give will help.  Let's take a huge burden off her shoulders to help our "Guardian Angel" so she can start to enjoy life again and continue to provide inspiration and hope to others (like she did for me).   

Thank you and God Bless.

Lisa Ippoliti