A school boy’s crush became a love story for the ages.

Friends from the age of 12, Brian Thornton and Susan Marie Connolly spent most of their lives together. Married in 1967, they settled in the peaceful borough of River Edge, where they raised their only son.

After almost 50 years of marriage, they received tragic news: Susan had pancreatic cancer. It was a devastating diagnosis, but Brian’s devoted care and Susan’s strong faith never wavered.

As the disease progressed and Susan’s needs grew, the couple turned to Valley Home Care’s hospice team for help. The compassionate staff brought welcome relief—caring for Susan’s complex medical needs, tending to her personal care, investing in both her and Brian’s comfort and interests, at all hours of the day and night.

Because of Valley Hospice’s care and support, the couple was able to treasure their final months as they faced life’s most difficult transition together. And Brian’s memories of their last moments remain sweet:

“Because of Valley’s nurses, I was not surprised when the time came. I was holding her hand. She looked at me, and I kept telling her how much I love her.I could see all the pain leave her body… She had such a beautiful look on her face.”

Valley Home Care’s hospice care was a gift to Brian and Susan. It was compassion that transformed their most challenging time into cherished memories.

Valley Home Care, Inc. brings quality care to the home, offering interdisciplinary services to meet a wide range of medical needs for thousands in our community. Valley Hospice is one of those services. As a not-for-profit program, our hospice care counts on your continued support.

Philanthropy makes a difference. From our in-home medical care to our therapeutic children’s programs to our community-wide bereavement support—personal donations fund every area of our care.

Brian is still adjusting to life without his loving wife. But he finds continued support and comfort through Valley Home Care’s bereavement support program, which is offered to all members of the family.

“It’s good to go to these sessions. You can talk about your spouse and remember them, and it helps you understand it all and learn how to be happy again.”

Valley Home Care works passionately, day after day, to help others live well—in illness, through recovery, during the final stages of life, and beyond loss.

Ed Lavorgna hiking in Hawaii within months of his second knee replacement surgery.

Knee troubles had already forced Ed Lavorgna to stop golfing, hiking, and doing the things he enjoyed most. But when a simple climb of the stairs became too painful, he knew something had to change. Ed was tired of the discomfort; he was ready to get back to his active lifestyle again. Dr. Anthony Delfico, Director of Orthopedic Surgery, and the team at Valley’s Total Joint Replacement Center gave him the answer he needed.

“Before I had both knees replaced, the pain was like a jabbing knife in my knees with every step,” Ed explains.

Valley’s Total Joint Replacement Center is a patient- and family-centered program designed to meet an individual’s needs from the moment surgery is considered through the procedure and post-operative recovery. The Joint Replacement team helps patients prepare for surgery with plenty of support and education, which can lead to more successful recovery periods. Dr. Delfico and his staff treated Ed with the latest technology and ample support to guide him every step of the way.

Patients needing partial knee, total knee and hip replacement can benefit from the effects of the new Mako^® Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgical System. Dr. Delfico and other Valley orthopedic surgeons are excited to offer patients this innovative, individualized option as it may also result in less pain and a shorter recovery time.

 “The Mako System is transforming joint replacement surgery by allowing us to tailor our surgical procedures to each patient’s individual needs and anatomy,” said Dr. Delfico. “We are proud to be the first hospital in Bergen County to offer this highly advanced robotic technology.”

Within months of his final replacement surgery, Ed was back out on the golf course again. Recently, he even visited his daughter in Hawaii where they hiked the rough Hawaiian terrain together. Ed got his life back, and retirement has never felt so good.

“Now, I am not immobilized anymore!” Ed beams. “The care I received at Valley – all the little extra things, the personal attention, the staff that truly care – they made a big difference to me.”

Joel and Lois Zimmer, close friends of Legacy donors Florence and Jerome Zisplatt, stand in The North Garden of the Friendship Garden recently named in their late friends’ memory. 

In recognition of the exceptional cardiovascular care received at Valley, Florence and Jerome Zisblatt from Fair Lawn established a generous estate gift towards Valley’s Heart & Vascular Institute.  Last month, to commemorate their extraordinary gift, the North Garden of the Friendship Garden was dedicated in the Zisblatt’s memory. 

“Florence and Jerome were always grateful for the medical care and professional, positive attention they received from Valley’s entire staff,” said Lois Zimmer, a close friend of the generous couple. “This is the reason they decided to leave Valley in their estate plans.”

Julie and Eric Epstein use their Donor Advised Fund (DAF) to support Valley’s mission. The generosity of thoughtful donors like the Epsteins makes Valley’s enduring success possible.

“We established the Eric and Julie Epstein Charitable Foundation DAF because we were drawn to the unique benefits,” explains Julie. “In addition to the immediate tax deduction upon funding our DAF, Eric and I appreciate the convenience of establishing recurring gifts to The Valley Hospital Foundation.”

According to a 2018 study by National Philanthropic Trust, DAFs are the fastest-growing form of philanthropy today because they offer ease and convenience.  In fact, within Valley’s own donor community, they are becoming one of the most preferred vehicles for effective charitable giving.  After consultation with their financial advisor, a donor typically creates an account with a sponsoring organization and makes a contribution of cash, stock or other assets like real estate and can take an immediate tax deduction for the gift.   

The recent increase in the standard deduction combined with the elimination of many other itemized deductions means that many more tax returns will take the standard deduction. By using the standard or reducing deduction many taxpayers are limited in their incremental deductions for their charitable donations.  Grants from DAFs allow donors to continue to make consistent annual gifts in support of Valley.

Whether it is providing annual support or planning to leave a personal legacy, recommended grants distributions from DAFs allow thoughtful donors like the Epsteins to help fund new technologies, equipment, programs and services throughout Valley Health System.

“We found that the DAF was the most tax-efficient way to demonstrate our appreciation to Valley for the exceptional care our family continues to receive”, says Eric. “We also enjoy the privacy, simplicity and convenience of a professionally managed fund without all the administrative duties.”

Contact us today for more information about how you can make a gift through your DAF. 

Bettina M. Daly
Executive Director
Gift Planning and Major Gifts
Office: 201-291-6193
Bdaly2@valleyhospitalfoundation.org

From left to right: Jennifer Knittel, Music Therapist; Tom and Lucy Ott; Bonnie Schneider, LCSW, 
Manager of Social Services at Valley Home Care/Valley Hospice

October 30, 2018 Ridgewood, New Jersey  “Perfect Philanthropy” is when a donor’s vision is precisely – or “perfectly” –matched with the vision of the organization to satisfy the needs of both. That’s exactly what took place when Lucy and Tom Ott learned about Valley Home Care’s need for a music therapy program.

Having lost their son David after a 17-year battle with encephalitis two decades ago, Tom and Lucy founded David's Fund, an endowment devoted to supporting and advancement of the field of music therapy. Music always played an important part in their son's life and they quickly realized the benefit of music therapy on the whole family.

When a dear friend was in The Valley Hospital earlier this year, her family told Tom and Lucy of the calming effect a volunteer harpist’s chords had on the somber room’s atmosphere. So, when she was home, spending her final days on hospice, the Ott’s arranged to have their friend visited by a harpist again. Although this was not yet a service provided by Valley, the musician agreed.

Inspired, Lucy and Tom combined their vision with Valley Home Care to share the wonder and comfort of music therapy with hospice patients. Thanks to a generous donation from David’s Fund, Valley will be able to send music therapists to the homes of patients who are on hospice for the next three years.

“I am just so glad we discovered each other,” Lucy Ott smilingly told Valley Home Care’s Bonnie Schneider, LCSW, Manager of Social Services.

Music can have very powerful effects on a person because it engages the brain in a complex way. Music therapy has been proven effective in addressing patients’ and caregivers’ physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. In hospice, music therapists can decrease feelings of isolation and provide a sense of familiarity and comfort, while evoking feelings of reminiscence and life review.

“I have witnessed music therapy work like medicine for many of Valley Home Care’s hospice patients. This gift is making an extraordinary impact on the care we are able to provide them,” said Bonnie.

Now, with this generous donation from David’s Fund, Valley Home Care is able to offer the aid of music therapy to hospice patients and their families for years to come. Valley Home Care’s music therapy program looks forward to playing out this perfect pairing of philanthropy and care.

October 31, 2018 Ridgewood, New Jersey.  Saying goodbye to a stillborn baby is the first step in a long and difficult grieving process, one that lasts a lifetime. Once the child’s body is taken away, many parents describe a deep longing to hold and cuddle their baby again, or regret at not having enough time to make memories with their baby.

This was how an Old Tappan couple, Matthew Stamatopoulos and Dr. Pascale Nadeau, felt after delivering their stillborn son, Kyle Nicholas, at The Valley Hospital last year. Suffering this great loss was excruciating, to say the least, and left them dedicated to making this experience less painful for other families down the road. So, after much research and quiet contemplation, the Stamatopoulos family decided to make a unique contribution. In memory of their late son, they donated a “Cuddle Cot” to The Mother Baby Unit within The Valley Hospital to help other parents suffering infant loss.

For those who choose this, the Cuddle Cot provides parents of stillborn babies or babies who die shortly after birth with the gift of time before saying a final farewell. The cooling blanket preserves the infant’s body so that he or she can remain in a hospital room longer, greatly extending the time a family can spend with their baby, if they so desire.

“The limited amount of time spent with a stillborn baby is the only chance that a family has to make memories.  The gift of extra time together is invaluable,” Pascale said.

Having a proper goodbye is crucial to a healthy grieving process. Losing a newborn brings on a particularly complex grief because it is so unexpected, sudden and drastic. Valley’s staff is committed to providing quality care to these parents, and the availability of the new Cuddle Cot aims to make that journey a little easier.

The Stamatopoulos family remains connected to the Mother Baby unit at The Valley Hospital – the family welcomed a daughter in August of 2018. She is thriving and the entire family remains grateful for all of the outstanding care they have received at Valley.

January 21, 2019 Ridgewood, NJ — In December of 2018, Mindray North America, a medical device manufacturer based in Mahwah, New Jersey made a $2,000 donation to The Valley Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

“We are very grateful for the donation we received from Mindray,” says Christiana Farkouh-Karoleski, M.D., Associate Director of the NICU. “Having a baby in the NICU can be an overwhelming experience for a parent, and Valley’s staff is committed to providing the highest quality medical care possible to newborns and their families. Through philanthropy, we can enhance our services and further improve the patient experience.”

Each year, approximately 1 in 10 newborns is admitted to a NICU in the United States. Valley’s 15-bed NICU has been designated by the State of New Jersey as a Level III nursery, a designation given to neonatal units able to provide the care for high-risk mothers and acutely ill newborns. The highest quality of specialized comprehensive medical care is provided by board-certified neonatologists, who are available 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Valley’s neonatology team also includes highly skilled neonatal nurses, dedicated respiratory therapists, pediatric pharmacists, pediatric occupational, physical and feeding therapists, social workers, lactation consultants and family support specialists.

Dr. Suneet Mittal; Lifetime Benefactors and Legacy Society members Heidi and Robert Fink; Dr. Himanshu Gupta; Legacy Society member Dr. Rashid J. Baddoura.  

May 31, 2019 Ridgewood, New Jersey Valley recently hosted an event at The Ridgewood Country Club to thank the members of the Legacy Society who have included The Valley Hospital Foundation in their estate plans, and provide an update on the progress being made with The “New” Valley Hospital.

David Bohan, Vice President & Chief Development Officer of The Valley Hospital Foundation, welcomed more than 60 guests and warmly thanked them for their loyal support.

Attendees viewed an educational presentation by physicians from The Valley Heart and Vascular Institute. Dr. Himanshu Gupta, Director of Cardiovascular Imaging, highlighted Valley’s recently established Cardiovascular Imaging program. Dr. Suneet Mittal, Director of the Electrophysiology Laboratory and Associate Chief of Cardiology, reviewed the newest technologies being used to reduce infection following pacemaker and defibrillator implant surgery.

The Valley Hospital Foundation is the grateful beneficiary of legacy gifts. Legacy donors are a special group of individuals who, through wills, charitable trusts, and gift annuities, support the diverse programs and services of Valley Health System. These legacy gifts help sustain our growth. The Foundation recognizes their generosity at the luncheon each spring.

If you are interested in learning more about how to make a planned gift to Valley, please contact Bettina Daly at 201-291-6193 or bdaly2@valleyhospitalfoundation.org.

The Buono Family in Valley's Pediatric Playroom with Aquatic Mural

Ridgewood, New Jersey September 26, 2018 A visit to Valley’s pediatric playroom located on the second floor of The Valley Hospital feels more like a visit to an aquarium than a children’s play space within a hospital’s pediatric unit. Thanks to a generous in-kind donation from Michael and Betty Ann Buono, Valley’s Pediatric Playroom just got an aquatic mural makeover.

Life-sized dolphins, sea turtles, whales, seals, an octopus, and various tropical fish make up the elaborate scene. The vibrant blue mural of underwater sea creatures was painted by local artist Gina Miccinilli to produce a child-friendly environment.

“Children like to visit the pediatric playroom for entertainment and activity,” says Susan Apple, RN, Manager of NICU, Pediatrics, PICU. “The new mural seems to be having a calming effect on many of our young patients because it distracts them from the reason they are here. It’s a fun and beautiful space.”

A gift like this enhances Valley’s ability to improve the patient experience. Valley is very grateful to the Buono family for this generous contribution.

The Buono Family with staff members of Valley's Pediatric Unit

Ridgewood, New Jersey, July 27, 2018 - Joseph and Lya Pfeifer have recently made a $1 million gift commitment to support Valley’s plans to build a new state-of-the-art hospital in Paramus.

“The New Valley Hospital will be a vital addition to the community. Lya and I are thrilled to commit our early support, and hope that it will inspire others to give,” Joe explains. “By directing our donation to this important project, we feel we can make a signifi cant impact on the quality of healthcare provided to our family, friends, and neighbors. 

In addition to their generous personal philanthropy, Joe and Lya have volunteered their services to support the mission of Valley. Joe has been a trustee of The Valley Hospital Foundation for 9 years and Lya is a member of Women for Health. 

Thank you Joe and Lya! We sincerely appreciate all you do for Valley.