Fundraiser Set For West Caldwell Woman With Lou Gehrig's Disease

WEST CALDWELL, NJ — A local salon will be hosting an upcoming “cut-a-thon” fundraiser for a West Caldwell woman battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

The fundraiser for Paulette Scriffignano Zirpoli – a Newark native, resident of West Caldwell for 23 years, former office manager of Verona Animal Hospital for 26 years and All Creature Great & Small of Fairfield - will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at Gianni Salon, 645 Bloomfield Avenue in West Caldwell.

According to a news release from event organizers, Zirpoli is a mother of two children that graduated the Caldwell school system and an active member of The Life Christian Church of West Orange.

“Earlier in 2014, Paulette began noticing some slight changes in her speech,” family members stated. “From March to July, as her speech got progressively worse, she traveled from doctor to doctor searching for an explanation. When swallowing began to give her problems in August, we were led to a doctor that gave her the diagnosis of ALS with a death sentence in two to three years. After multiple doctors have agreed with this diagnosis, we must and have chosen to trust God for her complete healing until a cure is found. Until then, we are doing everything possible to support her with the care necessary now that she can no longer walk, no longer speak, or eat and no longer give you a hug when you need it.. ALS is a thief… Time to put him away!”

“This challenge has affected our lives in unimaginable ways,” wrote Zirpoli’s husband, Steve, owner of Caldwell Printing.

Zirpoli’s family members have created an online donation site to help defray medical expenses and to help keep her health aid, which can be seen here.

As of Thursday, a YouCaring online fundraiser in her name has garnered more than $12,000 in donations.

Photo: Paulette Scriffignano Zirpoli, with permission

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