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04-07-09
Fleetwood family facing tragedy supported by close- knit community
     Less than one month ago, Ray and Janet O’Hara were overjoyed at the arrival of their first
granddaughter, Sofia. Despite some complications with the pregnancy, which caused the baby to
suffer several medical setbacks - the most serious being facial nerve damage - her family was
delighted at her arrival, and optimistic about her recovery.
     But as they cooed over the new baby in the hospital, no one in the family could have suspected that
the situation was about become even more serious. On March 22, the O’Hara’s daughter Janine, anew mother for only 10 days, was stricken with an aneurysm and died. She was only 29 years old.
     Now only a few weeks old, Sofia is facing long months of therapy to try and reverse the facial nerve damage that prevents her from eating and swallowing properly. As the medical bills mount, the grandparents, once looking forward to their retirement, have buried their daughter and are now
redecorating their spare room as a nursery.
     However, the O’Hara’s are not facing this tragedy alone. The residents of this community,
overwhelmed by the unspeakable sorrow the family is experiencing, are working together to raise
money and support for the family.
     Ed Frawley, a close friend of the family, conceived the idea of a day-long music festival to take place on June 28, 2009 from 12pm – 6pm. The goal of the “Rockin’ The Cradle Festival” is to raise money to put in trust for Sofia, to help alleviate the financial burden the family will soon be facing. His idea has sparked an outpouring of support unheard of in this community previously, and all the more precious in this uncertain economy.
     As founder of the “Friends of Janine Benefit Committee”, Frawley finds himself at the center of a whirlwind of meetings with community groups, merchant associations, and the friends, co-workers and schoolmates of Sofia’s family
     “The response from this community is so powerful. Everyone I see on the street stops me and asks ‘what can I do?’ to help with this event. We’ve only been planning for just over one week and already have the pledged support of every civic association in Mount Vernon, as well as all of the local merchant and community organizations.”
     Planning for “Rockin’ The Cradle, The Benefit for Baby Sofia” is only in the infant stages. So far, planned events include an exciting line-up of live bands, children’s activities, food, magicians,
entertainers, and more. Community members have stepped forward with offers of tickets for sporting events, broadways shows, gift certificates and products for raffles. The local Elks Lodge #707 and Blue Knights are planning a benefit motorcycle ride for the morning of the festival that will culminate at the center of the festivities. Local merchants are lining up to participate in “Sofia Day”; when 5% of their proceeds for the day will be placed in trust for Baby Sofia.
     “This event would not be possible or successful without the support of everyone in this community, and everyone in this community is coming out to support it already,” says Susan Granata, President of the Fleetwood Neighborhood Association.
     The “Friends of Janine” invites anyone who would like to help with the planning and implementation of this event to a meeting on Tuesday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Athena Diner on Gramatan Avenue in the Fleetwood section of Mt. Vernon. There, event organizers are looking forward to more ideas from the community to raise funds for the O’Hara family. “This is not a one-off event,” says Dr. Robert Russell, owner of Fleetwood Chiropractic Center, a member of the steering committee, and already a large sponsor of the event. “We are looking to continuously raise funds through smaller events for the next three months. Pre- and Post-event fundraising will include sales of DVDs of the event, as well as Commemorative T-Shirts and Pins.”
     The committee is soliciting sponsors at a variety of levels and benefits to support the event and the family. Anyone interested in contributing to the cause is encouraged to contact Ed Frawley and “Friends of Janine Benefit Committee” at fojbc@yahoo.com.