Please Help My Grieving Mom Keep Her Home

Dear Family and Friends,

Cancer is a curse…a silent, penetrating invader that robs you of your dignity and shreds your peaceful existence in this world. It creeps in quietly as you go about your life, sharing your days with your loved ones, caring for your pets, enjoying the blooms of summer, and rocking on the porch with a cool glass of iced tea. Little by little it takes hold and refuses to let go…strangling your carefree belief that you have a lifetime of days yet to be seen and enjoyed…more springtime earth to dig, more birthday wishes, more goodnight kisses. Cancer rips your world apart. It takes everything without remorse, without pity. You see your life pulling away from all that you held close…and you cannot protect yourself or those you love…you cannot save them from the void you will leave in their lives when the cancer claims you. Cancer is determined to consume not just one life, but the lives of all those you love. It leaves behind chaos and the scattered, incomplete pieces of a life unfinished. You cannot help them survive the coming devastation…you can barely whisper goodbye.

On January 30th, at 4:20 AM, Rick Nicolazzo lost his life to cancer as his wife, Katie, felt half her soul ripped from her heart. He was granted his last wish and slipped away in the farmhouse he loved dearly with his wife at his side. The dogs, who were devoted to him, somehow knew he was gone…mourning as they surrounded Katie in her grief. He leaves behind his wife who is facing the shattering reality of life without her husband. Rick fought cancer for two years and was able to continue working to maintain their health insurance and pay the monthly bills. With his death, Katie has lost her health insurance, a secure salary, and her social security benefits. Her only income will be Rick’s social security which is not enough to cover the monthly costs and the extensive medical bills. Katie has not only lost her husband, but she faces the possibility of losing her home and her beloved animals. If you are able, we are asking for any financial assistance you can share to help Katie survive this horrific transition and give her the time she needs to grieve and adjust to a life alone.

Chimney Swift Farm is a small, well tended home to several animals. Most of the animals were born into the arms of Rick and Katie. They have lived their lives on the property and are not able to transition to a new environment. Amber, a 29 year old horse, is the foal of Girl, who shared many adventures on the trail with Katie years ago. She is still living a happy life in her paddock even though she is unable to chew. She requires a special diet and feeding three times a day. The hope is she will enjoy her final years in the home she knows. Several older goats live next to Amber. Most of them took their first steps in the warm cellar of the old New Englander while Rick and Katie laughed at their antics. They are bonded and cannot be separated. The ducks were a Father’s Day gift to Rick 12 years ago and listened for his footsteps in the early morning hours. Many of the dogs are entering their golden years and look to Katie as their only human, glued to her side and never thinking they will ever be parted. The cats and birds are also too settled in their lives to rehome and need to remain together for their wellbeing.

Katie faces a hard future as she tries to reenter the workforce and provide for those who depend on her for everything. She has her own health issues, battling lupus and kidney stones. Our goal is to give Katie a chance…a chance to take a breath and grieve…a chance to look at her future without the fear of losing everything…a chance to have the time to make decisions that will affect so many who need her. Please…if you can…help us give Katie a chance.