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Final Article

Overcoming Tragedy

By: Meaghan Coombs

At a local Abington bar, Donna Cherry greets her customers with a warm smile, conversing with each of them as if they are long-time friends. A red bracelet circles her wrist with the words “Be Brian Cherry Strong.”

There are hugs and “how’ve you been’s” between Donna and the locals as she leans over the bar to chat with strangers and friends, many who are unaware of the family tragedy she experienced only six months ago.

On July 12^th 2009, Donna Cherry’s husband Brian Cherry was attacked and killed by an Abington man outside a neighborhood coffee shop. Cherry, 45, had askedMichael J. McGunigle, 49, to tame his German Sheppard as it scared the small children outside, barking and jumping at them.

After Cherry suggested he close the hatch to his truck to secure the dog, McGunigle came at him with a single punch to the side of his face. Caught completely off-guard, Cherry hit the pavement but maintained consciousness. Moments later he became incoherent and then fell unconscious. Witnesses called 911 while coffee shop employees wrote down McGunigle’s license plate information as he drove off.

Brian was taken to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, MA, but due to severe head trauma, he was transferred to Mass General Hospital in Boston. Doctors there advised Donna and her son that Brian needed immediate surgery due to the severe bleeding and swelling in his brain. They were optimistic that he would be waking up 4-6 hours after the surgery was completed.

But Cherry never woke up. He remained in a coma for nearly a week before passing.

Six months later, Donna Cherry has found the strength to face life without her long-time partner. She said that besides friend and family support, there is only one reason she is standing tall today. “After Brian passed, I was so angry about the way his life was taken. It made me sick that he was a victim of totally uncalled for violence.”

Shortly after her husband’s death, Donna started the Brian Cherry Foundation. The foundation raises money in Brian’s memory, and donates the money to anti-violence organizations. “It gets me through the day,” said Donna. “Knowing that I can help prevent incidents like the one that has happened to my family gives me a reason to get out of bed every morning.”

So far, Donna and her son Brian Jr, 21, have helped organized a bike run to raise money for the foundation. “My dad loved his Harley,” said Brian Jr. “For the first time since my dad passed away, I could smile because so many people came out to remember my dad and support a good cause in his memory.”

Everyday, millions of people suffer from personal tragedy through death of a loved one. Often times, it ruins a person’s life, leading to depression and inability to go on after such pain and sadness. But not for women like Donna Cherry who take their pain, sadness, and anger, and turn it into something positive to help others and to help herself overcome the tragedy of her husband’s murder.

Norwell Resident Diane Corcoran has been “paying it forward” for eight years now because of personal tragedy. Her husband Jay Corcoran was aboard United Airlines flight 175 when the plane crashed during the September 11^th attacks. Less than one month later, Diane had started the Jay Corcoran Memorial Scholarship Fund in memory of the love of her life and her two children’s father.

“I wanted to teach my children that when tragedy occurs, we must take the bad and turn it into something good in order to help the kind people that were there for us during such hard times,” said Diane.

Each year, The Jay Corcoran Memorial Scholarship fund awards 4-6 students with $10,000 college scholarships. To raise money, the Corcoran family holds a yearly golf tournament. “It’s filled with a lot of love and has been a healthy, healing place for people to reminisce, share a few laughs and to help out a great cause,” said Diane.

Grief counselor Debra Rivlin explained that those who make meaning of their loss by helping others, and make a difference in memory of their loved ones experience post-traumatic growth. This is when the individual who has suffered from tragedy overcomes it by doing something positive and going on with life as they remember it. “I think of John Walsh,” says Rivlin, “who after the murder of his son wanted to help others. He began America’s Most Wanted to help find missing children and stop and punish those who perpetrated these crimes.”

Rivlin said that when a tragedy happens and one is stuck in denial and can’t find meaning, the grief-stricken individual allows the perpetrator of the crime to win because they are remembering the way their loved one died, instead of the way they lived. “These people who overcome tragedy by doing something positive in the world are also helping themselves and their healing process.” Rivlin said.

Mary Rizzo agreed. “After my son died, we started a foundation in his memory because we wanted to carry on Jonathans goodness and focus on the goodness that still is more abundant than the evil in this world,” she said.

Rizzo’s son Jonathan, 19 at the time, was carjacked and murdered by serial killer Gary Sampson on July 27^th, 2001. Jonathan was in his car, waiting for a takeout order at a Plymouth Restaurant when Sampson, dressed in business attire and clean-shaven, asked Rizzo for a ride.

“It took us four days to find Jonathan,” said Rizzo. “The murderer had no specific target. He said whoever stopped for to help him, that's who he would kill.” Jonathan was one of three that lost their lives because of Sampson’s killing spree. He attempted a fourth, but the intended victim got away.

The Jonathan Rizzo Memorial Foundation was started in 2002 after many people had sent money to the family hoping to help with the search in any way they could. At that point, the Rizzo family knew that they wanted to start something in honor of their son, who was a victim of a brutal murder because of his kind spirit.

“Friends came to us and offered to help us begin what has now become an annual event, a memorial golf tournament,” said Rizzo. The event was started to spread the kindness that Jonathan had once shown so many people.

The foundation helps families and children in need by assisting them with food, fuel, electric and medical assistance, and even funeral expenses. There are no forms or applications, just word of mouth because the Rizzo family wanted people to feel like they weren’t just a another number in the system, but that there were people that cared about them.

“Jonathan was like this everyday,” said Rizzo, “He would always be brining people home who needed help, a meal, a place to stay, a hug, or just someone to listen.” The foundation also gives to the local Salvation Army, scholarships, Dove (a center for battered and abused women and children), and provides Thanksgiving dinners for inner city families.

“We will never completely overcome the loss of Jonathan in our lives,” said Rizzo. “Yet the foundation carries on his light and spirit and because of this, I can feel Jonathan in the hugs and words of gratitude.”

Mary Rizzo does not stand alone in her attempts to help others through her son’s memory. Another member of Rizzo’s small Kingston, MA community started a health and wellness center and a scholarship foundation after their son died in a car crash on November 15^th, 2002.

Ken and Denise Brack’s son Mike Brack was only 19 when he was in a vehicle with three friends who had been out drinking. The driver was speeding and lost control of the vehicle, killing Mike and another passenger.

That spring, Ken and Denise started a memorial scholarship at the high school Mike had attended, and they created a memorial soccer tournament. They called it The Michael T. Brack Memorial Scholarship.

“We decided to start this foundation to honor mike’s life, his passion for the game of soccer, and to help students pay for college-especially those who struggle a bit academically,” said Ken. The foundation gives out grants to members of the boys’ and girls’ varsity soccer teams, starting with two each, and recurring grants for those individuals who have maintained a B average.

“Starting Mike’s foundation has helped us overcome what happened to some extent because we’ve tried to continue a small, shining legacy- his passion and crazy energy for soccer and for life,” said Ken. “I think it also helps us because it gives our family a rallying point, along with close friends and people in our community, with the dynamic changing from shock and grief, to happiness and pride.”

The Brack’s did not stop their positive outlook with the foundation. Last January, Denise Brack, 46, decided to open up a Health and Wellness center, which she named Hope Floats. She had been thinking about creating a place full of comfort and peace since her son’s death when she couldn’t seem to find the right place for counseling. “After Mike’s death, all I could do to cope is attend support groups, all which took place in hospitals,” said Denise. “The environment is an important part of healing, and these groups just didn’t seem right in a place full of death and sadness.”

After talking with her husband, Denise purchased a four-bedroom colonial in their hometown of Kingston, and renovated it for 6 months until she felt it fit her vision.

Hope Floats is now a successful health and wellness center, offering grief support groups, workshops on healing, spiritual mind-body connection, wellness education, yoga, Reiki, and meditation. It is up and running thanks to the hard work of the Brack family, private donations, income from space rental, and small service fees.

“Knowing I am providing this spiritual healing place for grieving families gives me a sense of pride and helps me stay positive through the pain of Mike’s death,” Said Denise.

Because of strong people like Donna Cherry, Mary Rizzo, Diane Corcoran, and the Brack family, many individuals are being helped everyday, and given hope that they too can overcome tragedy and turn it into something positive.

Grief Councilor Debra Rivlin said she often quotes Helen Keller, who once said “What we once enjoyed and deeply loved, we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” But it is what one makes of that love inside of us, she explained. “One can sit and dwell on what has happened and live in the sadness, or they can live in their loved ones memory, turn it into goodness, and over come tragedy.”

A Woman of Strength

When 43-year-old mother of 3 Jodi Sampson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, she was not sad, angry, or scared. She was determined to face the disease with bravery and strength along with a speedy recovery.

After four months of radiation, the cancer was gone, proving that she would not let anything get in the way of her daily life, even a deadly disease.

“Throughout my radiation, fatigue, depression and weight gain never entered my life. My endurance and attitude remained strong and carried me through the voyage,” says Sampson, who didn’t let Cancer stop her from what she loved to do. Being an athlete her whole life, as well as taking part in personal training four times a week, she continued to go for a run everyday, even on days of treatment. Jodi has lived in Middletown Massachusetts most of her life, and according to her best friend and neighbor, Sue Resnick, she had always been a “health freak.“ Jodi is one of those women in town that every mother wants to look like. She is beautiful because she is so picky about eating healthy and staying fit. She has been glowing since the day I met her—I never thought her immune system would allow her to get so sick, because she is one of the healthiest women I know,” explained Resnick.

Being motivated to be healthy and productive before cancer had a positive impact on Jodi during the cancer as well. As a new balance athletic wear designer, she was always on the go, often times testing out her new clothing. “I had my own system. Everyday that I would go to work, workout at the gym, cook the family dinner, pray, and go to treatment, I would put a star on that day of the calendar,” says Sampson. Her family was amazed by her strength. “Everyday when I came home from school I would look at the calendar. There would be five stars on every day of the week,” says Sampson’s 19 years old daughter Jordan. “I was amazed that my mother hadn’t let the sickness affect her in the least.”

However, this would not be Sampson’s first time dealing with Cancer. When her son Michael was born in 1996, she was told he had a large brain tumor, and the doctors said he had 6 months to live, with a 5% chance of making it past that point. Although Michael faces frequent surgeries, he is now a happy, healthy 13 year old. “When I got cancer, I knew God gave it to me because I had dealt with it once, and had the strength to handle it again,” says Sampson, who now actively participates in fundraising for her son and children’s cancer.

In the small amount of free time Sampson did have during her cancer treatments, she created a website to help people who shared her disease. “I already ate healthy, worked out everyday, and turned to God to help me face life’s hardships,” says Sampson. “But what does someone do who doesn’t have that healthy lifestyle when they find out they have to battle cancer? That’s why I started my website.”

On top of her website and cancer fundraising, she is an avid runner who participates in half marathons on behalf of mass general hospital, woman's breast cancer organizations, and children’s cancer organizations. "No matter how bad circumstances may be, I believe that you just have to reach out your hand and help others."

Jodi Sampson has now been in remission for 3 years, but is not considered cancer free for 2 more years, so she is still at risk of reoccurrence. However, Jodi believes that if she continues on the route she is on, she can beat breast cancer once and for all.

For many cancer patients, the experience is one full of fear and negativity. But Jodi looks back on her time as a blessing. “I felt like I was being prepared for something great,” says Jodi. “My life has taken on a whole new meaning, and I wouldn’t change one day of it.”

First Interview

Ben Whitmore has always felt out of place in school. Not because of special needs, physical inability, or social awkwardness; but for being intelligent. Obviously, this is not something Whitmore boasts about, it has actually been an ongoing struggle for someone who does not want to be known as having a “smarty pants” attitude.

“ At a young age, my mom would take me to Borders to buy books because my dad would never let me have a video game system; it wasn’t stimulating enough for him.” Whitmore’s parents did not deprive their child of having fun, but pushed literacy at a young age enabling him to be one of the smartest kids in his class. “I was made fun of when I was little for always using big words. I became self-conscious about it.“ Whitmore says. “But if I know a word that is more accurate for what I am trying to say, I am going to use it.

“In the first grade I came home from school one day and told my parents I was bored in class, “ he recalled. Whitmore’s parents did not take his comment lightly, instead they went to his teacher for a conference to see how they could further their sons interest in school. Later that week, Whitmore came home from his soccer game and started writing about it. The next day he gave the letter to his teacher and she wrote back. This was the start of him and the teachers “pen pal” relationship. This was his way of being ahead of the class, without any of the students knowing.

Whitmore, now a sophomore communications major at Roger Williams University, has overcome his self-conscious feelings towards his intelligence. “Last year I went to the writing center to get my paper edited, and the director of tutoring asked me if I wanted a job.” Whitmore’s’ attitude towards his literacy and impressive grammar skills has come a long way from feeling insecure, to now having a sense of pride towards his language.

“I am now a writing tutor, a member of the Hawks Herald Newspaper, and a DJ for WQRI,” says Whitmore. He says he hopes to continue his love for the English language in the future.

“ I want to continue in the profession of writing after college. It is what I love to do,” Whitmore says with a confidence filled smile.