The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Inside Press

Top Ten Reasons I Keep Publishing this Magazine

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10. Local celebrity can be a blast. I still enjoy hearing,
“ You’re THAT Grace? I love your magazine!” Who wouldn’t?

9. Why give up a great team? There’s a wonderful synergy between myself and my two right hand folks, Carine and Dina. All my other contributors really rock too!

8.New testimonials are heartening. At a local business networking group meeting I was invited to attend recently, a new advertiser mentioned “six hits” he received as soon as the magazine came out. While not every advertiser will share a success story so readily, I am convinced print advertising still works just fine!

7. Working at home does the trick. Inside Chappaqua is a home based business conceived of in part to accommodate my work and family life. It still serves that purpose for me and I’m glad I can help many of my contributors accomplish the same.

6. There are new social media opportunities I happily exploit. I can spend hours in a day online posting for work while simultaneously entertaining virtual friends with my great wit or flirting with the occasional suitor on my personal page. That I’m “on” Facebook is quite accurate.

5. Party plans. I hope to hold a 10th anniversary bash in the spring of 2013 and invite the entire world.

4. I always wanted to own a dog. I have happily settled instead for the intrepid Maggie Mae Pup Reporter in these pages.

3. Rick’s Last Licks. Rick’s is so many people’s favorite page in IC, there could be riots around here if I stop publishing.

2. I’m privy to all kinds of Chappaqua chatter, and not just about the Clintons. It’s fun to be “in the know.”

1. I like surviving against all odds. I am a daughter of Holocaust survivors, after all.

Just Between Us

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Editor’s Note: When I decided on the Flood Sisters cover story, I turned to Westchester’s most ubiquitous fashion stylist, writer and instructor Sandy Hapoienu to help out. A permanent fixture at Fashion Week, her latest venture “Styling Session” embodies all her sought after expertise. Inside Chappaqua asked Sandy a few questions following the shoot:

Grace Bennett: What motivated you to choose a career as a stylist?

Sandy Hapoienu: I started as a shopping editor then photo stylist, styling celebrities, corporate, television, closet edits, wardrobe building and fashion shows. This also led me to teach as an adjunct Professor at SUNY Westchester.

GB: Is styling a natural gift, or something learned?

SH: I believe that there is an art and a science to styling. The art is the creative side that can be tapped into by reading fashion magazines and watching fashion shows. The science can be learned by knowing the type of clothing that is the best fit for your body type.

GB: What inspires you most about styling?

SH: Most people are married to a look and are afraid to take chances on their own. The confidence level rises significantly.

GB: What is rewarding to you about it?

SH: The thanks I get from my clients and the look on their faces. The befores and afters are amazing.

GB: Can you describe your experience with the Flood Sisters?

SH: The Flood Sisters are three young women working hard to bring attention to their foundation in the hopes of kidney donors. I took the whole picture into account: where are they now and where they are going in the future. First I started with their body types and what would be the most flattering styles. Then I made suggestions for hair and make-up. I aimed for a more polished business look.

If you would like to get in touch with Sandy Hapoienu, you can click to email her.

Maggie Mae Pup Reporter: Doggie Love

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“Nobody will ever love you as much as your dog does,” writes Jean Craighead George in her book, How to Talk to Your Dog. I have been thinking about that line since I interviewed her last year. What better month than February and the love issue of
Inside Chappaqua to explore the way my
canine friends and I express our love.

I’m always happy when my owner comes home. I wag my tail, run to her and then scurry to see what she has brought into the house. My friend Bear, a big Akita/Shepherd blend, howls to welcome his owners Dan and Sheila when they walk through front door. Coco and Jules, two mixed breed rescue dogs, jump on their owners Dave and Celine giving them lots of licks. “We follow them around the house because we want to be near them,” says Coco who also loves to cuddle with the family cats.

Another way I show my love to my owner is to curl up on her bed. I roll over so she can rub my belly. Coco and Jules love to nestle in bed with their owners too. “My favorite morning moment is to jump in the bed and snuggle,” says Coco. “And Jules loves to kiss his daddy’s shiny bald head when he does his
sit ups!”

The sofa is another place to show affection. I climb up with my owner, resting on her chest while she watches television or reads a book. I can feel her heart beating and I am sure she can feel mine. My friend Belle, a Chocolate Lab, nudges her owner Jen when she wants to lie down next to her. And on a cold winter night, Bruno, a Boxer, puts his paws up on his owner Carmine, hugging him till Bruno falls asleep in his arms.

Grooming is not my favorite activity, but it’s a special time for Alfie, an Old English Sheepdog. He loves to be brushed by his owner Bill. “I just melt,” says Alfie. It’s a bonding experience for both.

I never know who I will see when I take walks. When I see Natalia and Melanie, two six year olds who live in my neighborhood, I always wiggle and wag my tail with happiness. I give them my kind of hug, nuzzling on their feet. One day I saw Riley, a year old American Staffordshire Terrier. We were sniffing each other “hello,” when all of a sudden the girls came running towards me. I was excited to see them, but Riley, who did not know them, barked. I had never heard him bark before so I knew he was protecting me–giving puppy love a new meaning!

When I’m feeling affectionate, I push my head under my owner’s hand, begging to be petted. She calls me a love bug and says, “Maggie, you’re my girl.” I love her no matter what she does, even if she annoys me–which she does from time to time. I protect her, I defend her and I will be a loyal friend, always. This talk of love makes me want to jump up on my owner’s lap, lean my head on her hands, and finish writing this story together.

Contact Maggie Mae Pup Reporter.

Maggie Mae lives in Chappaqua with her adoring owner Ronni Diamondstein, who, when she isn’t walking Maggie is a freelance writer, PR consultant, award-winning photographer and a School Library Media Specialist and teacher who has worked in the US and abroad.

A Flood of Love

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By Jeff Cohen

“We didn’t want to see our father wait on a death list or have to be on dialysis the rest of his life.” Jennifer Flood and her sisters, Cynthia and Heather, craved a happier outcome for their father, Daniel, of Pleasantville, NewYork.
The Flood sisters’ journey began with a simple Craigslist ad that read “Please help me find a kidney for my dad.” As Jennifer recalls, “the three of us were Craigslist regulars for everything from finding child care to selling jewelry, so why not get creative and go
for a kidney?”

Media attention for the ad ensued and soon over 100 people had offered to be tested. While approximately 50% of responders were genuine, the bigger hurdle was finding a blood type match for Daniel. His O-negative blood type meant the chosen donor would need to be O-negative or O-positive. Ultimately six responders were tested and in December 2008 Daniel was the lucky recipient of a living kidney donation from Dawn Verdick of Monterey, California.
The Altruistic Donor Dawn was not the Flood sisters’ aunt, distant relative, or even close friend. She was a complete stranger compelled to help.

As Dawn recalls, “when I saw the Craigslist ad I had just been to a memorial service for someone very close to me who had made such a difference in the lives of others.” At the outset, Dawn didn’t know her volunteerism desires would lead to kidney donation. “After seven months of conversations, research and testing, the answer to donate was obvious,” says Dawn.

To this day, the primary question asked of Dawn is why she would want to help a complete stranger. She is also frequently asked “What if something happens to your good kidney” or “What if the kidney recipient dies?” Dawn fervently believes that “helping others and being outward focused is truly the only remedy we need to create a better world.”

Inspirational words from someone whose altruistic ways extend beyond kidney donation. Dawn is also the President and Founder of Dare to Dream (www.daretodreamfund.org), an organization with the vision of providing every young person with the opportunity to discover his or her potential in school, at work, and in life through goal achievement and life preparedness programs.

A Foundation
is Born
Thanks to Dawn, Daniel Flood has a new lease on life. You could argue that saving dad is a noble enough cause, but it was just the beginning for the Flood sisters. En route to finding a living donor for Daniel, the sisters founded The Flood Sisters Kidney Foundation of America, www.floodsisters.org. The Foundation’s mission is to educate people on alternative ways to find a donor for kidney transplantation. Their focus is centered on the idea of the “altruistic donor,” or unrelated living donor.

According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) more than 93,000 Americans are currently on the national kidney transplant waiting list. While up to 16,000 or so kidney transplants are performed annually, the average wait time can surpass seven years. Sadly, many waiting list candidates will pass away before a kidney donation match is made.

“If we can raise awareness for living donation, word will spread, and waiting lists will shorten,” says Jennifer. With a wait list generally within a year, the Flood Sisters have facilitated four more transplants since their dad’s. Currently, 53 additional patients are registered, with 25 donors on hand getting tested for compatibility.

“Ultimately, we’d like to complete one transplant per month and provide hope for renal failure patients besides the traditional deceased donor transplant.”

Spreading the Word
Raising awareness is a primary mission for the Flood Sisters Foundation. Their annual fashion show does just that. On December 2, 2010, The Flood Sisters Kidney Foundation of America presented the 2nd Annual “Love. Give. Life.” Park Avenue Fashion Show at the Audi Forum of New York City, sponsored by the National Association of Profession Women (NAPW). Top fashion designers joined together to highlight the importance of altruistic/unrelated living donors.

As designer Elene Cassis noted, “I was extremely touched by the Flood sisters’ amazing story of how they saved their father’s life.” Elene is no stranger to tragedy herself, as her own father drowned. “The fear they had knowing they could lose their father is something I can certainly relate to and understand. It’s wonderful how they found someone to save their father’s life and continue helping others who are in a difficult situation in finding the right donor.”

Fellow Chappaqua resident Pam Zonsius, founder of “The Brelli” biodegradable umbrellas, supplied Brellis for some of the models to hold in their hands down the runway. According to Zonsius, “in the name of their father, The Flood Sisters Kidney Foundation fundraising event was very personal. They have been successful in creating a model to match people in need of a kidney with a donor and Brelli
is happy to be part of this passionate mission.”

The star-studded affair was co-hosted by CNN producer Phil Rosenbaum and medical producer Maria Dorfner. Household name companies participated in a silent auction, including Calvin Klein, David Yurman Jewelry, Build-a-Bear, the Tony Hawk Foundation and Ivanka Trump Jewelry. A February fundraiser is in the planning stages.
Touching Lives, Inspiring Hope
Live speakers touched by donation inspired the crowd, including Jamie Howard and Lisa Williams. 
Jamie’s daughter Caitlyn was
born with reflux and needed a
kidney transplant.

“I was very worried Caity would be on the waiting list for years, so I contacted the Flood Sisters.” Just before joining she got the call a deceased donor had been found. Caitlyn quickly went from a very, very sick child with dark circles
and yellow skin to a very healthy 13-year old.

Still, Jamie feels the Flood Sisters’ impact to this day. “I am comforted knowing that should Caity ever need another kidney I have somewhere I can go without having to feel hopeless and go on that waiting list. It really makes a very scary situation have some hope.”
For Lisa, she did some soul searching in arriving at the decision to give her kidney to a dear friend.

“I knew he needed it and felt as though I was extremely blessed to be able to give him an opportunity to lead a more normal life.” Lisa consulted with her Rabbi, who said, “to save a life is to save the world.”

The Terrific Trio…

Jennifer: spent six years in psychiatric nursing before working in finance, where she began building the Flood Sisters Kidney Foundation from her cubicle.

Cynthia: Jennifer’s twin, Fashion Institute of Technology graduate with a masters degree in art business from Sothebys, now working in compliance on Wall Street.

Heather: a Westchester social worker currently in training to become a therapist.

Today Lisa feels complete when she sees how well her friend is doing and thriving. She also stares in awe at the Flood Sisters. “They have such a passion and their journey was not completed when their father received his new kidney.” Lisa is a Flood Sister advocate for life and will continue to let people know that donating their organs to save a life is the most gratifying and honorable thing one can do.

The Journey Has Just Begun
Altruistic donation really is all about love. As the Flood Sisters’ website explains, “In the field of organ donation, it is love that carries the day, whether its for an individual recipient or simply for humanity. Organ donors are truly heroes. Everyday, they give of themselves to help others, gaining nothing of material value in return.”

In the end, The Flood Sisters’ philosophy sums it all up. “We changed our father’s life for the better. Now, we want to help others fight Kidney Disease. The power of one can save so many lives-imagine what can be done with all of us.” 

To learn more about The Flood Sisters Foundation of America, visit www.floodsisters.org or call 646-287-2900. Donations can be made online or by check payable to The Flood Sisters Kidney Foundation of America, 100 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10017.

Jeff Cohen recently lost his mentor and father-in-law to kidney disease but lives his dream as a writer and consultant at Boldroad.com.