To our cherished and treasured family and friends,

As you all know, my mom has been forced into another battle, that will inevitably be her last.

Over the last 6 months, she has been fighting an illness that was hidden and aggressive. It took months, precious time, and a steep decline, to finally obtain an official pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

As a family, we are doing our best to be sure that this process is as painless and peaceful as possible. We have tried, throughout our traumas over the course of our family life, to find the beauty in all things.

Although this has been the most difficult of all of our trials, we have done our best to preserve our respect and reverence for death, in the most serene way.

Mom decided long ago that she would not have a funeral service. She also does not want to be buried. Although she maintains a deep love for tradition, she really always managed to do things a little differently.

Instead, we thought about doing something meaningful, that represented some of our best times together.

New York city has been a very special place for us, for a very long time. I am beyond grateful for our countless mother-daughter trips. We ran into celebrities, walked onto movie sets, and dined in the greatest of restaurants. We shared our love for NYC with many of our friends and family, and for me, it will always be the city where my mom and I were happy, free and most alive.

It feels only natural to leave a mark on the city that has left such a mark on us.

A coffee and a stroll in Central Park was a staple, built into every NYC trip. I remember noticing, on one of our first trips, that there were benches, trees and pavers that were engraved and dedicated to honorees.

Mom and I always made it a point to read the marking, and honor the energy of those named.

Throughout her life, my mom would often say, "I just put one foot in front of the other".

To honor this mantra, we would like to purchase a paver that lives on the Gilder Run in Central Park.

A piece of her memory will be a part of Central Park, a place filled with excitement, beauty and joy. She hopes it will give everyone a little incentive to visit and fall in love with one of her favorite cities.

We have been so blessed with an outpour of kindness, food and flowers, and we are beyond grateful.

Moving forward, we are asking for contributions toward the paver. This will make it so that everyone who has touched her, and whom she has touched, can be a part of this project.

If you feel compelled to participate please feel free to donate here.

Our goal is $5000 CAD. The paver costs $3500 USD.

Any proceeds over and above the cost of the paver will be donated to the Literacy Unlimited Organization.

My mom sometimes struggled when it came to finding purpose. About 2 years ago, she started volunteering at the Literacy Unlimited Center. This gave her such gratification. She genuinely felt that spending time with her student gave her the opportunity to come full circle. She was able to give back, the same way her teachers gave to her when she was a young Italian child who spoke no English or French. Reading was always my mom's escape. It was one of her favorite things to do. Reading is a gift that she always insisted on giving.