Domenico living with MS and helping others with the disease
Wednesday, March 2, 2016 • The Hammonton Gazette • Page 3
DOMENICO, from Page 1
but never received firm answers
on what exactly was happening.
“Every time I went to the doctor, there was just no explanation.
All my blood work would come
back normal. We just kind of
brushed it off,” Domenico said.
Years went by before she would
find out about her MS. She continued to go about her daily life
and even said that she often
avoided her symptoms. Eventually, she was forced to deal with
things, no matter what that entailed.
“I just wanted a firm answer, no
matter what it was … One day I
was at work and my boss said,
‘Lee, you’re going home right
now and going to the doctor.’ I got
to the doctor’s office and he took
one look at me and said, ‘Lee, you
have MS. I’m almost sure.’ I was
honestly relieved. I wasn’t scared,
I wasn’t angry … I know it can be
debilitating at times. But I won’t
allow that to happen to me. That’s
just how I look at it,” Domenico
said.
After attending support groups
and participating in forums with
other MS patients online, she decided she wanted to do something
to give back to people struggling
with MS related issues.
“I have met so many people
forced to live with the financial
burdens of MS. The disease itself
is so unpredictable. You can be
fine one day and not be able to get
out of bed the next. You don’t
know if you can go to work, when
you can go back to work, who
doesn’t have sick time to use, the
whole disability process. I found
the need for people who were
faced with this financial struggle
and wondered how can we pay for
things this month? That’s where
the idea for this came from,”
Domenico said.
Domenico began the Lee’s
MSKeeters foundation just more
than three years ago.
On March 19, Lee’s MSKeeters
Foundation will be hosting its
third annual “Here to Relieve the
Financial Stress of Living with
MS” beef and beer event at Kerri
Brooke Caterers. Last year,
Domenico was able to accommo-
Volunteers needed for lake cleanup
HAMMONTON—Volunteers are needed for the Eighth Annual
Hammonton Lake Clean-Up on Saturday, March 19 at 10 a.m. Volunteers will meet in the Canoe Club (Hammonton Lake Park). Refreshments will be provided and service credit documentation is available.
The cleanup will be hosted by the Atlantic County Utilities Authority,
Hammonton Environmental Commission, Hammonton Lake Water
Quality Advisory Committee and the Hammonton Green Committee.
To volunteer, call Bob Reitmeyer at 704-8166.
Enjoy March 17’s Third Thursday
DiMeglio Septic,
Est. 1975 ~ DEP 03261 ~ Paul DiMeglio
HAMMONTON—MainStreet
Hammonton will host March’s
Third Thursday in downtown
Hammonton on Thursday, March
17 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Art venues, retail shops and
restaurants will celebrate “Cinema” as this month’s theme.
Inc.
1 (800) 427-4617 ~ 561-1007 ~ 561-3597
491 S. White Horse Pike • Ancora, NJ
• Grease Trap Cleaning • Portable Toilets
• Septic Certifications • Jetting Service
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121 S. White Horse Pike
Hammonton • 561-6222
CUSTOM ENGAGEMENT RINGS & WEDDING BANDS • REPAIRS COMPLETED ON PREMISES
Paying homage to films of yesterday and today, guests will enjoy movie-based dining and drink
specials, sales, sweet treats and
more.
For more information, call
MainStreet Hammonton at 5679014.
date 300 guests.
“I had to turn some people away
once we hit 300, we didn’t have
any more tickets. It’s truly amazing to me how the people of this
town will get together to help others. None of this would be possible without their dedication and
support. I really have to thank
them,” Domenico said.
The event continues to grow
year by year. There were 450 tickets available this year, 350 of
which have already been sold. All
of the proceeds from the event go
directly to southern New Jersey
residents who are experiencing financial burdens due to MS.
“We help people with everything, including: mortgage payments, rent, pr