By Alex Costello
She rented out Madison Hall in Rockville Centre, hired the band Mystic to play, and invited around 100 of her friends and family members to come out and have a good time on Nov. 14.
However, Condoleo's party was different from most in one key aspect: no one was supposed to bring her any gifts (although some people still did). Instead, she requested that everyone made a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
"I just feel it's so important to give back because so many people kind of forget," Condoleo said. "When things are going good, they forget about the people that really need help.
"Do I need another gift? No," she added. "I would rather do something that would make a difference for other kids."
Seven years ago, when she was pregnant with her son, Dean, Condoleo was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease, a type of lymphoma. After she gave birth, she started on chemotherapy, and her cancer went into remission. She's been cancer-free since, and feels that it's important to give back any way she can.
"Each year, for the first five years, I would do the walk-a-thon for [the] Leukemia & Lymphoma [society]," she said. "And after five years, I had gotten so bad asking everyone for donations that I kind of stopped donating."
So, instead of sending out letters this year to everyone on her Christmas card list asking for donations, which is what Condoleo used to do, she decided to invite people to her birthday party, and have them make donations in lieu of gifts.
"The whole thing just goes along with Michelle's entire personality and the fact that she's just so giving and generous that she is forgoing all the presents," said Condoleo's friend, Mindy Reyer. "And that she's gone through so much in her life and she's still all about giving."
Since she has recovered from her sickness, Condoleo has dedicated herself to raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
"I've known Michelle over 20 years, and the [walk] we did together I know she raised, by herself, over $10,000," Reyer said. "And that was only one."
Hodgkin's Disease tends to affect young adults and children. "So that's really important to me, being a mom and everything," Condoleo said. "I couldn't imagine one of my children going through it."
Everyone who knows Condoleo knows that donating like this is just how she is. Still, some were very touched by what she
decided to do.
"I think it's great because she had Hodgkin's when she was pregnant with her now 7-year-old, and she's donating everything to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and I thought that was very sweet," said Condoleo's mother, Mary Castiglione. "In fact, I was crying."
For Condoleo, her party wasn't about fighting cancer, it was about celebrating life. "With my 40th birthday," she said, "I thought it would be a good idea, since there are so many negative2 things in the world, to kind of celebrate the good things."
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