HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!!!

If you found your way here before the end of the year, HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!... and Thank You for coming! :)  I know it was a long shot to share the link with less than a day left... and to hope someone might see it before 2015... but I decided there was nothing to lose in trying.  There's still time to make a tax deductible donation in the final moments of 2014... one that will help not only my family, but other patients and their families as well, and our community.

At the same time, if you've come for the first time in 2015, I couldn't be more grateful than to have you here to help me start the New Year... and, HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's all still Tax Deductible for what is now 2015 and this year's taxes! :)

You can read more about "The Gift That Keeps On Giving", below... it's a copy of my project from earlier this year, (minus the picture that wouldn't post), which is continuing the same as it was before the contest came along, everything out of pocket.  More about everything is on my website at mariacostellonow.com.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving - Pittsburgh, PA

If you relate to ONE or BOTH of the following, than you will LOVE this project! It not only helps the community, but helps others at the same time!

#1 - Have YOU, or ANYONE YOU KNOW, ever been faced with a health challenge that changed your life and all you knew it to be? Have you ever had to travel for treatment, not knowing for how long? You’re already faced with one of the scariest times in your life and now you have to leave your home, your family, your friends...and if that weren’t enough, WHERE are you going to stay? And HOW are you going to pay for it?!

What if you could have a beautiful furnished Apt. waiting to welcome you as your “home away from home”? Your own “healing space” after a day at the hospitals, designed to help you mentally, emotionally and physically...for less than the discounted hospital hotel rates?...AND you could even apply for financial aid through the foundation supporting it!

Or...

Are you someone who knows this person and wishes you could help in some way?! Wishes there was ONE thing you could do to make their day easier, to take their mind off of everything medical and help them escape to a FUN, HAPPY place for even a moment :), but you feel helpless to do so?

What if you weren’t?...

#2 - I don’t know about you, but moving around a lot, I’ve always loved that special place in the community that’s like an extension of everyone’s backyard, where you all know each other and feel safe and at home.

What if the latest addition to the project helped with ALL of the above, ONLY BETTER?! How awesome if that place were a corner coffee shop, but more than that it supported the dreams of your local talents, helping to share the gifts in your community with all the world...photography, handmade jewelry, live music, even an afternoon yoga class...the possibilities are endless! It’s going to be a vegan/vegetarian cafe, mostly non-GMO, with all organic coffee and tea’s... A unique bonus that will attract visitors and bring positive area growth! AND THAT’S NOT ALL...

While supporting the community, having fun, and welcoming visitors to feel at home as well, a percentage of the cafe’s net profits will go to the foundation that supports the furnished apt’s for patients and their families.

My dream started after my own 16th surgery, which led my family to permanently relocate to Pittsburgh for possible re-transplant and ongoing care. After 7 yrs of travel, hospitals and multiple accommodations, I dreamt of a home and community myself. We found it in my favorite historic district. 

We have the spaces needed for the coffee shop and the first furnished Apt., doing what we can DIY little by little, our only hold up... “FINANCES”! The #GiveBackChallenge is the miracle that could turn dream into reality! PLEASE HELP US!

It’s The Gift That Keeps On Giving!

Hi Everyone!! 

Welcome to my Lighthouse Community Webpage... and Happy Belated Chinese New Year! 

I've started this first entry about a dozen times since the official 2014 New Year, LOL, but something always seemed to interrupt as I'd get started and even knowing how much is going on right now I have no idea how we are already a week into February!  Still, it seems right to start this out bringing in 2014 and sharing with you what was the best Christmas I've had since my transplant 9 1/2 years ago... my first with a full size green tree, with both my parents by my side, where we celebrated X-mas Eve and X-mas Day in our soon to be home, and where we had enough room to invite friends to celebrate with us!  It was the true "ambiance" of Christmas, which is what it's all about.

I have a blog/website that I finally started to put together this past year, hoping to share my story and all that is going on today... a way to give back to those who continue to support me, near and far... as well as to tell both the medical updates, along with life outside of the hospital and what passions fill my heart each day, giving me strength to keep going.

The following link is to my post for our "Last Minute Christmas", with fun pictures as well! 

http://www.mariacostellonow.com/last-minute-christmas/

Although only two days, it was such a wonderful preview of the dream and gift we have been working towards for 3 1/2 years, 2 1/2 years behind our intended move in date.  The increasing financial stress from transplant, 16+ surgeries so far and the ongoing complications, all led to permanantly relocating to Pittsburgh...the purchase of our Apt. was made to help financially as well as a mental and emotional gift of getting to settle into a place and make it home.  Unfortunately unexpected additional expenses used the last of the reno budget, and then our bank had outside financial difficulties of their own and backed out of the renovation loan to finish what we needed to move in.  Adjusting to the unforeseen surprise, we've been doing what we can little by little as finances allow, finally close to at least the minimum being safe and ready for my immune system.

I am so grateful to have found The Lighthouse Community and to have a 501c3 to help with fundraising.  Anything that comes in is like a little miracle to me, but is truly a gift to help with medical and medical related expenses for the past and present, to help ease the stresses day to day as we continue to face the unknown.

What I love even more is the chain reaction it has ~ how one gift becomes so much bigger than someone may ever know ~ and then getting to share that joy on my blog!  In this case as help comes for these expenses, it also opens up the ability for us to finish the renovation.  Not only is someone helping with medical related expenses, but they are also becoming a part of the dream of our home becoming a reality!... A place for my family and I to call our own...for me to heal in... for my parents to de-stress and "stay healthy" in... A sanctuary where we can unpack after years of rentals, where we can bring a little of "The Beach" to the North Shore of Pittsburgh  and finally have enough room to invite family and friends to come visit.  Being home 95-100% of my day, it's a gift for me to share with friends as well, to at least be able to have them over for movies or game night...where I can enjoy being part of as much life as I can, even if some days it's simply watching the laughter and happiness of those I love around me.

I promise I'll write a nice summary of my story in the Personal Info section soon, especially transplant and these crazy 9 1/2 years post...it's these years that led to our need to find the Lighthouse Community now :).  Until then, please use the link below to visit my blog/website!  It tells my story leading to transplant and is where I will continue to put updates of life here and now.  The second link is for a caringbridge site we used to update family and friends with journal entries immediately after transplant and throughout the first few years (if anyone is interested...).

Blog/website: www.mariacostellonow.com

Caringbridge: www.caringbridge.org/visit/mariacostello

Thank you for visiting my page and taking time to get to know me a little ... I hope you'll be back to see how things are going and that I will get to share the ups and downs with you as a way of saying Thank You for your support.  

Best wishes to all! xo