Projects

Caruso/Bode Home Renovation

Open Your Heart’s first project is making the Caruso/Bode 100+ year old home a safe, accessible, and low maintenance environment for this family.  Mary Caruso, a single mother, and her two daughters, Sam (23) and Ally (19), have all lived in this house for 9 years, and have been residents of the town of North Branford for more than 20 years.  Both Sam and Ally are afflicted with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a neuromuscular degenerative disease that has limited their motor skills and has confined them to wheelchairs, among many other ailments. Sam and Ally struggle to maneuver around their home to perform basic daily tasks like getting in and out of bed or the shower; tasks which most of us take for granted. With the generous donations and help of many business, families, and individuals in the community, Open Your Heart hopes to make necessary changes to the Caruso/Bode home so this family can live in a safe handicap accessible environment and enjoy their home for many years to come.

For those of you who do not know Mary, Sam, and Ally, perhaps you should stop by the Caruso/Bode residence to learn about the family first hand and to try some of Mary’s famous cookies that are always freshly baked.  We are sure that you will be warmly welcomed by all, and feel like an old family friend within minutes. You’ll quickly learn about the latest volunteer project that Mary, Sam and Ally are working on; maybe it’s their annual “Find a Cure” dinner and auction or the latest fundraiser with the National Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), of which Mary is a founding member. Perhaps you’ll learn about the next out of state medical research trial Sam and Ally will be attending in an effort to help doctors find a cure for Friedreich’s Ataxia. Or maybe you’ll hear about the big project that Sam is working on for classes, (Sam is a Senior at Southern Connecticut State University and is graduating in May 2010 with a degree in film editing); or the volunteer experiences of Ally at Hospice in Branford (Ally is a Sophomore at Southern Connecticut State University and is majoring in Social Services).  In the living room, you’ll probably stumble across the bike Mary rides as she participates in the annual “Ride Ataxia” bike a thon to raise awareness for Friedreich’s Ataxia. During her bike travels, Mary passes out paper hearts with inspirational sayings on them to strangers who she meets along the way. No matter what the topic or day, you’ll surely know that despite the girls’ disease, this entire family is active in their community, work hard to volunteer their time for others, and are constantly spreading the message of being nice; quite evident by the sweatshirt Mary will likely be wearing with her logo “Just be Nice”. Mary, Sam and Ally all work hard to spread their “Just be Nice” message and bring sensitivity and inclusion awareness to everyone they meet.

For these many reasons, Open Your Heart, Help the Community believes Mary, Sam, and Ally are a truly amazing family and well deserving of a handicap accessible home that is also safe and low maintenance for the family.  We hope you will take the time to explore the website and articles to learn more about this special family.

Luca and Matteo

Luca and Matteo were born prematurely in August 2009.  Since birth, both children have undergone many medical procedures and will continue to need medical attention throughout their lives.  We are working to help defray the cost of out-of-pocket medical expenses as well as making repairs to their home to create a healthier environment during this time.