Kait's Angels Yard Sale Helps 2 In Need On LI: ' A Wonderful Thing'

MATTITUCK, NY — Once again, the love of a small town will raise up those facing difficult times and circumstances, with friends and neighbors showering them with compassion and hope.

The annual Kait's Angels Community Yard Sale is planned for Saturday, Sept. 9, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the home of Joe and Darla Doorhy, located at 1125 Old Jule Lane in Mattituck. There will be an all-you-can carry for $20 hour from noon to 1 p.m.

Donations will be accepted at the Doorhy home on Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. only. Medical equipment, TVs, beds, large furniture, ski equipment, or lawn mowers will not be accepted.

Proceeds from this year's event will benefit two local community members facing health challenges — Alex Boergesson, 28, of Southold, and Maddy Calaluzzi of Calverton.

Calaluzzi, her sister Vivian Velez said, was diagnosed in January, 2022 with corticobasal degeneration of the brain, which causes gradual worsening of speech, movement, memory and swallowing.

Her sister, 72, first started noticing twinges in her hands and feet; she fell a few times. At first, the thought was that she had carpal tunnel syndrome and then, she had neck surgery. "We thought she would be fine," Velez said. "Then we took her to a specialist and in 20 minutes, he told us, 'She's got CBD.'"

The news was unthinkable. "It was terrible," Velez said. "Her friends were celebrating all weekend, thinking she was going to be fine. It was awful."

They went home, read all about CBD, and "cried," Velez said. "There's no cure."

Most people diagnosed live between 7 to 10 years, eventually unable to swallow or talk. "We call it 'alien limb,'" she said. "She has a leg that can barely move and she can't walk because her whole body shakes. It's just horrible."

Medical expenses are mounting, Velez said, with much not covered. And, to make a grim situation even more challenging, her sister was in a crash recently when a drunk driver sideswiped her vehicle, totaling her car and her wheelchair.

"Her friend did the right thing, by veering to the left, but she broke her arm. They're lucky to be alive," Velez said. "It's been crazy."

Sobbing, Velez said her sister's illness has been traumatizing for their family. "We're very close," she said. "We were taught by our mother to have a good time, to make people laugh, to be the center of attention. My sister was that way, more than me. Now she has to sit in a wheelchair, she can't dance, she can't do all of this stuff. It impacts your lives."

But for all the sorrow, there is a certainty born: "It makes you realize that life is short. You have to enjoy what you have, when you can. We're very grateful for all the people helping out."

The yard sale is something Velez said she's enjoyed for years; she and her husband were cleaning out their attic and garage Thursday to find treasures to bring. "We hope it's going to make a lot of money for these two people," Velez said. "It's a wonderful, wonderful thing."

A fundraiser will also be held for Maddy at the Birchwood in Riverhead on Oct. 29.

The second recipient of funds raised at the Kait's Angels yard sale will be Alex Boergesson, who has a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox Gastaut syndrome, as well as Crohn's disease and a rare sleep disorder called Kleine-Levin syndrome, his mother Val said.

"He is very complex medically with frequent illnesses and has been in the hospital on and off since the beginning of August," she said. "We are incredibly grateful and touched that Kait's Angels has asked us for Alex to be a recipient of this year's yard sale — and are so grateful to live in a community with people who care so much for each other."

Joe and Darla Doorhy lost their daughter Kaitlyn on Aug. 22, 2014; she was hit by a car while away at college. A heavy blanket of grief cloaked the community as all struggled to grasp the loss of a young woman, a former Mattituck Lions Club Strawberry Queen, known for her bright smile, philanthropic spirit and caring heart.

But tragedy turned to hope when Kait's Angels was formed in Kaitlyn's memory, with an eye toward acts of kindness in her memory. And now, the yearly yard sale is organized to help others during their darkest hours.