Playing with a lot of heart By Eugene Mulero, Daily Record
FLORHAM PARK -- Stacey Titus, a business major at the College of St. Elizabeth, loves rock music and helping others.
Last night she organized her fourth concert at the college which drew about 60 young people to listen to five bands and raise money for her favorite charity.
Titus, of Rockaway, uses the concerts to raise awareness for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), the disease she has and the disease that took the life of her mother, Lori Flanigan, nine years ago while living in Rockaway.
"I miss my mom and I don't want other people to deal with what I went through," Titus said, while collecting tickets at McGuire Hall, where the event was held. "I want people not to feel bad for me but to be aware about the disease."
After her mother died, Titus's aunt Lisa Salberg founded the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association, based in Rockaway. The non-profit organization has raised money and brought attention to the disease. Salberg hosts a series of fundraisers throughout North Jersey.
"Many people have the disease and they don't even know about it," Salberg said. "After my sister died, I knew I had to do something to educate people."
Shortly after Flanigan's death, Salberg and Titus had defibrillators put in their hearts to help prevent sudden heart failure, a common HCM symptom.
Last night's concert, billed as Bands with Big Hearts, grossed about $300 with proceeds going to Salberg's non-profit association.
Sophomore Cassandra Bosquet, of South Orange, attended the concert to learn more about HCM and enjoy the live music.
"I always love Stacey's events. She brings good bands and we get to learn about the disease," Bosquet said.
Dari Olsen, a psychology professor at the college, came out to show her support. During one class, she asked Titus to share her story with other students.
"She's great. She's very inspirational," Olsen said.
The bands performing included Tonation from South Jersey, Disclaimer from Rockaway, 10 Heads High from New York City, Copperpot from Rockaway, and No Soap Radio from New Brunswick.
Jarrett Randazzo, Copperpot's singer and guitarist, became involved in the event after Titus contacted him a few weeks ago. Randazzo said he was Titus' neighbor growing up and knew her mother.
"This is a disease people don't know much about," Randazzo said. "This is a great concert for hanging out with friends and enjoying the music."
HCM is a condition in which the muscle of the heart is abnormal in the absence of an apparent cause, according to Salberg. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, light-headedness and blackouts and fatigue.
I had to go peek at the NJ.com site to see what you were talking about...
I think those postings are simply silly and really do a wonderful job of allowing the readers to see how "strange" and "wierd" those posting the messages are! LOL!
lol!
