Team Carolyn- Every Bit Counts!
Donation protected
A fighter with a huge smile and an even bigger heart!
Have you ever met a person who has touched your life in so many ways it's difficult to describe? An individual who epitomizes all that is good about the world? Who brightens any room simply by walking into it? Have you been inspired by a special teacher whose passion for her subject is infectious? A volunteer, advisor, and organizer with a strong drive to help others? Have you met someone who is extremely bright and talented, yet remains humble and grounded? A rock star with a killer sense of humor? Have you encountered someone who approaches hardships with a smile and a sense of optimism? Do you know someone who you wish you could thank for simply being part of your life?
If you have met a person who embodies any one of these traits, you should feel grateful. If you’ve been lucky enough to know one special person who captures all of those attributes, you should be thankful and realize you are truly blessed. There is one person in my life who has all of those boxes checked: my niece Carolyn (Palinkas) Vento!
Carolyn is a math teacher and National Honor Society advisor at Susan Wagner High School in Staten Island. She has led volunteer efforts and fundraising campaigns for the American Cancer Society, Marine Corps Toys for Tots, Project Hospitality, City Harvest, and others. She served as the advisor for SING, an annual student-created musical production, and also is a performer herself, acting as the lead singer and songwriter of a number of local bands. In her years as a singer, Carolyn performed at a number of American Cancer Society events at Wagner College, where she graduated in 2004 as valedictorian.
Carolyn and her husband Patrick have recently been blessed with the birth of Valerie Rose, who is now a beautiful, smart, and spunky four-month-old baby girl. She is enjoying her life as a new mom, but now she is facing a new challenge: In January, she was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, an aggressive but curable form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
When Carolyn first learned of her diagnosis, she said to me, "I will beat this, and then I will start up something to help others beat it.” This can-do spirit perfectly sums up my goddaughter’s approach to life—and her approach to fighting cancer. She is positive and upbeat, caring and selfless. She is a real warrior, and we love her dearly.
With the help of her supportive family, Carolyn has started chemotherapy at New Jersey’s Hackensack University Medical Center—a world-renowned facility about a 45-minute drive from her home in Staten Island. She spends weeks at a time at the center, and medical bills are mounting quickly. While she is luckily on the road to recovery thanks to a fantastic staff of nurses and doctors, the cost of travel, treatments, child care, and disability status will present a real uphill battle for the Ventos.
Understandably, many of Carolyn’s friends, family members, and co-workers have generously offered their help over the past few months. Your phone calls and cards, your flowers and gifts, your Facebook messages and emails, have been much appreciated and truly encouraging. Now, the best way you can assist the Ventos is by donating to this campaign, which will truly help offset her rapidly accumulating medical bills.
We need your help. Any donation would be appreciated, and knowing that you care will help fuel the motivation inside Carolyn even more.
If you know Carolyn and Patrick at all—or have seen Valerie’s growing collection of Rangers onesies and toys—you’re probably aware of what a diehard hockey fan Carolyn is. Think of this as your chance to join the offense. We need the whole team on the ice to reach the goal.
Good luck, Ca!
Have you ever met a person who has touched your life in so many ways it's difficult to describe? An individual who epitomizes all that is good about the world? Who brightens any room simply by walking into it? Have you been inspired by a special teacher whose passion for her subject is infectious? A volunteer, advisor, and organizer with a strong drive to help others? Have you met someone who is extremely bright and talented, yet remains humble and grounded? A rock star with a killer sense of humor? Have you encountered someone who approaches hardships with a smile and a sense of optimism? Do you know someone who you wish you could thank for simply being part of your life?
If you have met a person who embodies any one of these traits, you should feel grateful. If you’ve been lucky enough to know one special person who captures all of those attributes, you should be thankful and realize you are truly blessed. There is one person in my life who has all of those boxes checked: my niece Carolyn (Palinkas) Vento!
Carolyn is a math teacher and National Honor Society advisor at Susan Wagner High School in Staten Island. She has led volunteer efforts and fundraising campaigns for the American Cancer Society, Marine Corps Toys for Tots, Project Hospitality, City Harvest, and others. She served as the advisor for SING, an annual student-created musical production, and also is a performer herself, acting as the lead singer and songwriter of a number of local bands. In her years as a singer, Carolyn performed at a number of American Cancer Society events at Wagner College, where she graduated in 2004 as valedictorian.
Carolyn and her husband Patrick have recently been blessed with the birth of Valerie Rose, who is now a beautiful, smart, and spunky four-month-old baby girl. She is enjoying her life as a new mom, but now she is facing a new challenge: In January, she was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, an aggressive but curable form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
When Carolyn first learned of her diagnosis, she said to me, "I will beat this, and then I will start up something to help others beat it.” This can-do spirit perfectly sums up my goddaughter’s approach to life—and her approach to fighting cancer. She is positive and upbeat, caring and selfless. She is a real warrior, and we love her dearly.
With the help of her supportive family, Carolyn has started chemotherapy at New Jersey’s Hackensack University Medical Center—a world-renowned facility about a 45-minute drive from her home in Staten Island. She spends weeks at a time at the center, and medical bills are mounting quickly. While she is luckily on the road to recovery thanks to a fantastic staff of nurses and doctors, the cost of travel, treatments, child care, and disability status will present a real uphill battle for the Ventos.
Understandably, many of Carolyn’s friends, family members, and co-workers have generously offered their help over the past few months. Your phone calls and cards, your flowers and gifts, your Facebook messages and emails, have been much appreciated and truly encouraging. Now, the best way you can assist the Ventos is by donating to this campaign, which will truly help offset her rapidly accumulating medical bills.
We need your help. Any donation would be appreciated, and knowing that you care will help fuel the motivation inside Carolyn even more.
If you know Carolyn and Patrick at all—or have seen Valerie’s growing collection of Rangers onesies and toys—you’re probably aware of what a diehard hockey fan Carolyn is. Think of this as your chance to join the offense. We need the whole team on the ice to reach the goal.
Good luck, Ca!
Organizer
Jean DeRenzo
Organizer
Staten Island, NY