CCALS X JULIE MOLLO - A Big Idea!

My dad died 5 years ago today. I don't like to say I lost him, because it feels like I actually lost him about a year and a half prior to his death.

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My Dad, J Mollo, was diagnosed with ALS (aka Lou Gehrig's disease) in February of 2017 after more than 6 months of tests and doctor's appointments. Once the diagnosis was real, and once my family and I wrapped our head's around my dad's death sentence, it was time to help him, and help us understand how this disease would not only effect his body, but effect our lives, our home and our future.

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CCALS was recommended to us almost immediately upon Drs office diagnosis and immediately they were there for whatever we needed. Resources, education, help with medical papers, chairs that helped dad stand from sitting, lifts to assist in bed transfers, electric wheelchairs for dad to use, mattress wedges when he wasn't able to lay down flat, toilet adapters that made him feel dignified, feeding tube food, wheelchair-accessible rides to many dr appointments, boards for writing, grips that make anything easier to hold, and just about any any anything under the sun that would help him, and us, live a little bit easier with his decaying body, but completely sound mind and all for free. No paperwork, no nothing, just a phone call and an ask. 

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ALS is the cruelest thing i've ever witnessed or could ever imagine. And sure, you've heard of the bazillion dollars raised ice bucket challenge from flashy celebrities and friends raising money for ALS research and funding, but CCALS is different. They help on a very practical level, giving you anything they can offer in a time that you cannot imagine that you're actually living through. 

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As a small business owner, I didn't know what i could do to ever say thank you to this organization, and we had created fundraisers around our baseball clutch, sparkle clutch & sunflower clutches in 2017, 18 & 19 respectively, but now, on the 5 year anniversary of his death, I wanted to really celebrate an organization that i still reflect on a lot. An organization, based in my home state of Massachusetts, that was truly truly there for me, dad and mom.

Dad was great. What a character. Most of my loud, extroverted personality comes from him- the ultimate party boy and jock. I can't believe what he's missed out on in these past 5 years, and sometimes that whole couple year period of my life feels like a bad dream, but then i remember that it wasn't and I have to keep going, living my life in Brooklyn, attempting to bring joy to anyone who supports my sparkly small business.

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My dad also had a bright, sparkling small business - Lights On! For all of your lighting needs! His business provided and installed light bulbs to commercial businesses all throughout central MA, and if you lived in the 508 in the mid aughts, you couldn't miss his Pittsburgh Steeler-colored, bulb-mobile, box-truck that he drove around in with his music blasting. 

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So this year, to celebrate both my dad and an organization that is so near and dear to my heart, I bring you The Big Idea Keychain Clutch, a small but sparkly card holder clutch that will benefit CCALS and hopefully bring some brightness and sparkle into your everyday!