D’Addario Auto Group Donates Car to Breast Cancer Survivor

Tom D’Addario, President and Dan D’Addario, Vice President of D’Addario Auto Group of Shelton and long-time community partners and supporters of SWIM Across the Sound, have generously donated a car to St. Vincent’s patient, cancer survivor and SWIM recipient Karen Flores.

Eighteen months ago, Karen was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer that required a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy. In the midst of her treatment, she lost her job.  SWIM Across the Sound was able to cover her rent for four months to relieve some of the burden.  A few months after her surgery, Karen’s 15-year old daughter Alexa was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that required immediate open-heart surgery. Once again, Karen turned to SWIM Across the Sound, because she could not work while caring for her daughter and she had fallen six months behind on her rent.

To make matters worse, Karen lost her only mode of transportation to an engine fire right before Thanksgiving, leaving her with no way to bring her daughter to and from her treatments. While talking with Lyn McCarthy, executive director, St. Vincent’s Medical Center Foundation, Karen told her the latest challenge she was facing. Lyn immediately thought of Tom and Dan D’Addario, reached out to them with Karen’s story, and within a few days, Tom and Dan had found a car for Karen. 

This was not the first time the D’Addario family helped a family in crisis with a much-needed vehicle. In 2014, a young mother with two children (ages six and nine) was terminally ill.  The nurses caring for her at St. Vincent’s submitted a “Christmas Wish” to radio station WEBE 108, for the children’s grandmother who would be raising her grandchildren after her daughter passed and needed money for a safe, reliable car. Thanks to the D’Addario family generosity, a gently used car was donated to the grandmother.