For those who are fortunate enough to have sufficient financial resources to make charitable donations, it is relatively easy to cut a check and slip the contribution into the mail. It takes a lot more effort to find the time to personally support the charity by actively participating in the organization’s fundraising efforts or being involved in its corporate governance. However, when an individual is passionate about the mission of an organization, any energy spent on helping the charity meet its mission is a labor of love.
For Marie Napoli, donating to, and working with, The Bone Marrow Foundation, is a where she finds joy. That is because Marie and her husband, Paul, a senior partner at a prominent New York City personal injury law firm, understand first-hand about the desperate feelings and struggles experienced by families who have a loved one that needs a bone marrow transplant.
An Urge to Give Back to the Community
The Napolis have always felt that giving back to others in the community is important. They grew up in families where charitable giving and helping those less fortunate was emphasized. After they graduated from St. John’s Law School and formed a successful law firm, the couple gave back to their alma mater by participating in alumni and student events, as well as by funding a scholarship and donating funds for the creation of a 163-seat state-of-the-art lecture hall. They always tried to live by Winston Churchill’s words, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
When Paul Napoli was diagnosed with leukemia in 2014 and needed a bone marrow transplant to survive, it was no surprise that Marie Napoli turned her focus toward supporting her husband as he faced his battle against cancer. For those who knew Marie, it also was no surprise that Marie did not limit her energies to just helping Paul recover. Rather, she became interested in helping improve the lives of all those who face the challenges associated with bone marrow transplants.
Simultaneously, Marie had been working with Bone Marrow Foundation for over 10 years, which exists for the purpose of improving the quality of life for children and adults who are undergoing bone marrow transplantation as a life-saving treatment for leukemia, Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, multiple myeloma, aplastic anemia, severe combined immunodeficiency, neuroblastoma, and other cancers and genetic disorders.
Marie felt so strongly about the foundation’s mission that she joined the Bone Marrow Foundation Associate Board, where she continues to help support the organization in its desire to provide vital financial assistance for those involved in donor searches, compatibility testing, bone marrow or stem cell collection, cord blood banking, medications, medical equipment, home and childcare services, housing, transportation, and other patient needs.
A Marathon for Charity
Recently, Marie went a step further in her support of The Bone Marrow Foundation. After months of training and raising pledges in excess of $52,000, Marie Napoli “walked the walk” by running in the TCS New York City Marathon.
