PASCACK VALLEY AREA—wo young ladies who’ve just graduated area high schools and are planning to go into the medical field have been helped along by scholarships in memory of someone who would have recognized them as kindred spirits, and been delighted to help them succeed.
Receiving Dominique’s Journey Scholarships of $2,500 each at June senior awards nights were Park Ridge High School’s Nicole Larghi and Pascack Valley High School’s Lauren Kalfus.
Both wrote winning essays answering how they planned to contribute to changing the world for the better — and in so doing showed that they would continue Dominique Franco’s legacy of giving and kindness.
On Feb. 16, 2019, third-year nursing student Dominique Ann Franco, 21, died suddenly at the University of Rhode Island, leaving hundreds of family members, friends, and acquaintances in shock and grief.
Dominique’s funeral Mass, at Our Lady Mother of the Church in Woodcliff Lake, drew nearly 1,000, including her sorority sisters. Sister to four brothers, she was president of her sorority chapter, Zeta Tau Alpha. She was a graduate of Park Ridge High School’s class of 2016.
Her parents, Gina and Mike, and their family, through the Dominique Franco’s St. Jude’s Journey foundation, have continued to support Tomorrow’s Children at Hackensack hospital in her memory.
Gina told Pascack Press of the scholarship, “We raised more than $4,000 in donations in gift cards and monies despite Covid. This is a charity my daughter began a toy drive for at 16 and continued even when she was in college at URI for nursing.”
She said Dominique organized her first fundraiser at 7, passing along thousands of dollars for cancer research at Hackensack Meridian Health’s Tomorrows Children’s Fund and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She raised funds against children’s cancer for nearly 15 consecutive years.
“Dominique’s dream job was to work at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. She felt she could provide care and love to the children being treated there and be a source of strength and support for the parents and families as well,” said Gina.
She added, “We will continue her legacy for her passion of helping children with much gratitude for all those who continue to support Dominique’s Journey.”
The scholarship — now in its third year — is open to senior students who want to pursue a degree in the medical or healthcare field.
“Dominique was well on her way to changing the world and we would like to be a part of helping others achieve this dream,” Gina said.
The winners and their essays
We last wrote about Kalfus, of River Vale, on the occasion of her third-place win of a 2022 STANJ Governor’s Award for her comedic monologue as Madison in Pascack Valley Regional High School’s performance of “Night Night, Roger Roger.”
Larghi survived sudden cardiac arrest at school on March 8, 2021, credit for her save going to educators, EMTs, and police (all of whom were honored at the school board meeting of that May 24). Her family, through the Butch Mancini Foundation, arranges heart screenings for all students at PRHS. She’ll be going to Marist College.
With the authors’ permission, here are their essays:
Fifty-seven medical bracelets and five rolls of pink gauze bandage. This array of items is what I see when I open the Payless shoebox that I keep tucked away under my bed. These unusual keepsakes are my “Infusion Center Souvenirs,” or at least that’s the name I came up with when I was 9 years old.
While it may seem silly to hold on to seemingly meaningless items such as unused medical supplies and plastic bracelets, I cannot fathom dooming them to the trash on garbage day.
When I was 9 years old I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. I was unsure what treatments and appointments I had ahead of me, but my time spent in a place where most people dreaded going was actually the highlight of my whole experience. The doctors’ offices and emergency rooms have always fascinated me in a way that no other place has. I appreciated the organized chaos of an incoming emergency with doctors and nurses flocking to a patient, ready to help. I found comfort in the presence of procedures and detailed plans.
Walking into Ruttenberg Treatment Center for the first time, I was immediately met by a compassionate and skilled team of nurses that swayed me from ever fearing a treatment or hospital by giving me such a positive experience.
Since that first treatment, I have been fascinated by all things related to medical care. This curiosity left mediocre stitches on my teddy bears and bruises from mock injections on my father’s arms.
By the time I reached high school it was clear that I belonged in scrubs. I affirmed my passion by seeking out programs that could expose me to the depths of the medical field.
I incorporated my engrossment into my work with the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation, where I raised money and awareness through walk-a-thons and event planning. I read articles on children diagnosed with this devastating disease and the lasting effects it had on not only the child but on the family as well. In those articles, I would see anecdotes about nurses that helped these families along the entire way, and I knew that I would be the caregiver in the articles one day.
As a child with a chronic illness I know what it is like to walk into a hospital, unsure of what lies ahead of you that day. As a healthcare professional, I am confident that I know what will and will not work to comfort the patients that walk into my hospital.
In the fall, I will be attending the University of Rhode Island as a nursing major to work toward making a difference in the lives of any patient that crosses my path and following in the footsteps of every nurse that has changed the course of my life. If I can make a difference in one person’s life, either physically or mentally, every day that I am on the job, then I know I will be fulfilling my own definition of success.
— Lauren Kalfus
Since my heart disease diagnosis at age 6 I have been greatly informed on the facts of heart complications. I have always heard the staggering statistic that only one in 10 people will survive a sudden cardiac arrest. Being one of the 10 who was fortunate enough to survive, I feel empowered to change that horrifying statistic for others.
One reason survival is so low is because people do not know CPR, or they are afraid to do it wrong. So instead, they do nothing.
This January, I had the opportunity to attend Parent Heart Watch Conference. This is mostly a group of people who have either lost someone to sudden cardiac arrest or survived one. All the people that are there share a common goal to eliminate sudden cardiac arrest deaths in youth. Many of them focus their energy on CPR and AED training so that bystanders know what to do in these circumstances.
These people and their missions amaze me, and I strive to be like them. I want to educate and empower people to save lives, despite the panic of the moment.
While at the conference, I met leaders of many non-profit organizations and representatives of AED companies. I quickly began to desire change and asked for guidance on how to do so. The mission will be challenging, but I know that I can accomplish all that I want if I take small steps.
Fortunately, I am already headed in the right direction and have begun to spread my message. The AED company Zoll interviewed me for their “Global EMS Resuscitation Summit: Small Patients, Big Impact!” I explained my plans and how I intend to help fix the horrifying medical statistics of sudden cardiac arrest.
I know that by continuing to use my voice and sharing my experiences I can make a big impact. Being one of the lucky ones, it feels like my responsibility to make a difference in the world.
— Nicole Larghi
