Bayville Boy With Cerebral Palsy Needs Your Help

Valentino Falzarano can't walk or talk. He can't go very far in his wheelchair. But when his mother drives him around in their 1979 golf cart, everyone in their neighborhood knows "Val."

Val, who has cerebral palsy, is learning to communicate with an iPad. He can say some one-syllable words to call for his mother, father and sister, Bella. But he can communicate plenty with his smile or laugh, and he loves to joke.

"No matter what crappy day the kid has, no matter how the kid feels, every morning, he wakes up smiling," said his mother, Kim Falzarano. "He’s happy even though he has hardly anything."

Val is also the special needs ambassador for Bayville Elks Lodge #2394. The organization held a fundraiser for him in October that raised over $10,000 to add an accessible bedroom and bathroom to his home. Val slept on the couch before then, said Kathy Rausa, the Bayville Elks' special needs committee chairperson.

But unexpected costs have risen since, such as needs for new electric and plumbing setups, Rausa said. That's why the Bayville Elks are holding another fundraiser for Val.

"I went into this thinking we were going to get a wonderful bathroom and bedroom, and with what’s happening to the whole flipping house, we don’t have the money to do it," Kim Falzarano said.

Val found the Bayville Elks when he was 8 or 9. Rather, they found him. His neighbors, Dawn and Warren Douscher, were members. They eagerly told him that he should join and become an ambassador.

The Bayville Elks hold events that Val loves, such as fundraisers, the Christmas party and the charity ball, his mother says. Val's mother says he loves to dance and flirt, so he has plenty of opportunity at these events.

"We will be on the dancefloor all night long," Kim Falzarano said. "I’ll swing that wheelchair around, and he’ll find a girl to flirt with."

The organization will host a Spaghetti & Meatballs Fundraiser from 5-9 p.m. Feb. 22 at the lodge (247 Route 9). Admission costs $20 and will also include soda, salad, bread and dessert. The event will also feature a 50/50 raffle and auction.

The community has come through for Val before. Along with the first fundraiser, Clayton Masonry donated all the block and concrete needed for the addition's foundation, Kim Falzarano said. Val's family also received discounts from several organizations.

And Val will always have the Bayville Elks. You can donate by making out a check to the Bayville Elks and putting "Val's Place" in the memo, Rausa said. Mail checks to the lodge address.

"They have been so helpful with everything," Kim Falzarano said. "They’re all so sweet to him."

Photo provided by the Bayville Elks