Celebrating the Life of Catherine

There is nothing that can take away the pain of losing a loved one. There are no words, no actions, no amount of money, that can bring that person back to spend the rest of their days with those that love them. So losing Catherine has been no different for those that she impacted. If anything, the feelings of grief are only intensified, because Catherine was a person that left a mark on the hearts of so many. Catherine Amanda Benincasa passed away on June 14th, 2018 at the age of only 31. Despite leaving this world entirely too soon, I can only smile thinking of how she crushed the doctor’s initial predictions that she wouldn’t live past the age of 6.

Catherine underwent open heart surgery back in March. After beginning on the road to what looked like a successful recovery, a series of unforeseen medical complications led her to an emergency tracheotomy and medically induced coma. Doctors weren’t sure if she’d make it through, and even if she did, what her life would look like upon recovery, so you can imagine the shock and smiles that took place when she woke up and spoke for the first time (even if those first words included one of her favorites – “no”). Surrounded by loving family, including her mom, Elsa, sister, Amanda, her sister’s boyfriend, Andrew, her brother, Armand Anthony, and sister-in-law, Angie, she spent the next two months in and out of the ER and rehabilitation facilities. Her only goal? “To go home.” And guess what? She accomplished that goal. On June 13th, she was able to see her cat, Renzo and dog, Rizzo again when she was discharged from the hospital. She passed only a few moments later, but we can smile knowing that she left exactly where she wanted to be, and that she is probably celebrating achieving her goal up in heaven with her Dad, Armand, right now. While she hated the hospital and having to live out her days there, the nurses, doctors, and all the staff there will not hesitate to tell you how much they loved her and her unforgettable personality. Catherine was a kind, sweet, and compassionate person, with just the right amount of sass and humor that made her smile and laugh contagious. No matter how long or short of a time you spent with her, how little or how well you knew her, there really are only memories of smiles when she was around. There could be a million people in the room, a million faces you will have forgotten, but you wouldn’t have forgotten Catherine’s. I personally only met Catherine once, at her sister and my best friend, Amanda’s, graduation party. I met a lot of people that day, but I really don’t remember many of them. I do, however, remember Catherine vividly. I remember the massive smile on her face as she creamed Amanda in flip cup and the little dance she did to celebrate her victory. I remember both her and Amanda laughing at the fact that she, a first-time flip cup player, just destroyed Amanda (who is well experienced in the game). There was just something about Catherine that radiated happiness and warmth. While that was the only time I was able to spend with her, I’m not upset about it. Because I will say that even in those few hours, she was able to bring a smile to my face that I won’t forget.

In the spirit of Catherine’s caring personality, her family decided to donate her organs. As it turned out, Catherine’s blood type matched that of her sister’s good friend who had been on a waiting list for the last six months for a liver and kidneys due to Stage 5 rare kidney disease. On Friday, the transplant was marked a success.

As you can imagine, being in the hospital for months has been nothing short of financially draining. I will be honest – I don’t know exactly what the bills look like for the Benincasa family, but I know that they can’t be small. Because of Catherine’s preexisting conditions, she did not have the opportunity to receive life insurance. Pair with this the grief that I know her family is enduring right now, I know that finances are the last thing they want to worry about, which gets me to the reason I’m asking for your help today.

While I may not have known Catherine long or well, I know she would want to give back to the two people that gave her so much – her mom and her sister. If the pictures don’t say it enough, they were all best friends and would do anything for one another. Amanda is one of my best friends, and there is not anything I wouldn’t do for her. There is nothing I want more than to be able to take away the pain her and her family are feeling right now. There aren’t words I can say that will change anything or ease the grief they’re enduring, but I think we all can help them by donating as much or as little as we can to help them through this tough time. And quite frankly, this is just a crappy situation. We all know how ridiculous healthcare is these days, and it isn’t fair that this family has to go through this mess when they just lost such a wonderful light in their life. I’m not one to post or even go on social media a lot, and I’m not one to ask for help. And I’ll tell you what – Catherine, Amanda, and Elsa are the last three people to ever ask for help. But I think this is worth it. No matter how much or how little you can donate, regardless of if you met Catherine or not, I just hope that people can pay it forward and try to help out a wonderful family that would do just the same for anyone else. 

In Loving Memory of Catherine Amanda Benincasa
November 25th, 1986 - June 14th, 2018