Mitochondrial Disease

While I attended the Chelmsford Country Fair and walked around with Rob and Sierra checking out all the booths, we came across the booth for Immune Deficiency Foundation. Mitochondrial Disease is a disease I had never heard about and I was so happy that Stefani reached out and asked if I could come over and speak with her. She told me that she was diagnosed with this disease as an adult and after carrying her daughter during pregnancy, it was discovered that her daughter also has this disease, and now her son will be tested to see if he is a carrier as well. Her story amazed me as well as the fact that I have never heard of this disease and that there is no cure. To listen to a person who is living through this tell you that there is currently no cure, makes you want to learn and see if there is anything you can do to help. That's where I hope the power of the title of Mrs. Massachusetts will allow me to provide some support as well as spread the word. The one thing that I have learned this year is that you just never know how your life can be impacted any different day and from what. I look forward to being in touch with Stefani and figuring out a game plan on how I and others interested can help.

Here is a little bit of information about what Mitochondrial Disease is: Mitochnondria are often called the "powerhouses of the cell." They are specialized compartments within almost every cell and are responsible for producing the energy needed by our body to sustain life. Mitochondria combine oxygen from the air we breathe with calories from food to produce the energy required for all bodily functions. If the mitochondria fail to produce sufficient energy, the cell will not function properly and organ systems will fail. There are more than 40 known types of mitochondrial disorders and more then 200 inherited diseases of metabolism that are known to affect mitochondria. While the majority of the cases are inherited, there are cases in which the disease seems to be a random occurence. Patients present with wide range of symptoms including strokes, seizures, gastrointestinal problems, blindness, deafness, respiratory diffficulties, lactic aciosis, immune system problems, autistic-like symptoms, and liver disease.

To learn more, please visit www.umdf.org.

Chelmsford 4th of July Parade

The 4th of July festivities continued on Monday, July 5, at the Annual Chelmsford 4th of July Parade! This parade is one of the largest and well known parades in the state of Massachusetts. This year's parade had many special guests including Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown who I got to personally meet and have my picture taken with. He was a very gracious person walking around meeting and greeting people and taking pictures with whoever asked. Attorney General Martha Coakley also was in presence. I was so greatful to the Chelmsford Parade Committee for inviting me to particpipate in this even, especially since it is in my hometown. I was in a brand new 2011 Shelby GT Mustang Convertible car. Everyone that I told about the care was in awe, and I have to admit I can see why when I saw the car in person. What made this ride so special to me was that the car was provided by Jim Dolan of The Dolan Funeral Home in Chelmsford. In 2007 when my mom passed away, I went to the phone book to look for a funeral home to help us with arrangements. Having never been through this process, Jim and his staff walked us through the most difficult time and made it so much easier. Our paths crossed this time for such a celebratory experience, and I was able to thank Jim personally for how much he helped us during that time.

As I rode the parade route, I was so touched by all the families that came out to watch the parade, especially in the hot weather. The kids were amazing and it was so fun to waive to them and say hello. I even heard a little girl Riley, who I met a the Chelmsford Country Fair the prior day, scream my name, and her mom was so psyched when I waved back and yelled Riley's name. Its experiences like this that I love about being Mrs. Massachusetts, I am able to put smiles on people's faces, especially the kids. I was able to share this experience with my niece Kayla who was able to ride with me. She looked adorable in her outfit with her sequined hat. She loved that someone gave her an American Flag which she got to waive around.

Thank you to the entire Chelmsford Parade Staff, you created an amazing event which the whole town enjoyed! I'm so excited to have been a part of it! A very special Thank You to our Armed Forces who give so unselfishly with all they do. I hope that each and every one that is serving overseas is able to return back to their families, and those that are no longer with us, I thank you for giving us our freedoms and you will never be forgotten!

Chelmsford Country Fair

I am so incredibly proud to be living in the Town of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. This weekend the town put together a country fair that got so many different parts of our town involved. There were booths all around the Chelmsford Common ranging from school organizations such as the music department, swim & dive team, class of 2012 to name a few. Also represented were booths for the Chelmsford Mother's Club, Chelmsford Republican and Democratic Committees, Bella's Friends, Chelmsford Recycle Program, and so many more. The Chelmsford Rotary Club had a mini choo choo traing ride around the common for children and their families. There was a lot of musical and dance entertainment. I loved being a part of my friend Maureen's booth which was doing a Rubber Duckie Adoption and raffles with all proceeds being donated to the Avon Breast Cancer Foundation. What is so special to me about events like this is when there are suvivors who open up to me after I speak to them about my platform of Breast Cancer Awareness and the Importance of Early Detection, and hear their stories. So many credit a mammogram for saving their lives which is a part of my message everywhere I go. There was one woman who stopped by and bought a few raffle tickets and she is a two-time Breast Cancer Survivor. I thanked her for sharing her story with me and let her know that she is the hope for those that are newly diagnosed with this disease. There was also a gentleman who came by and bought several raffles and told us that his wife passed away from this disease and thanked us for what we are doing. The more I do this, I realize that everyone has a story and is in some way affected, and it makes me even stronger to further pursue spreading my mother's story and advocating the importance of awareness, detection, prevention, and celebration of life. I want to congratulate Maureen and her mom Sally on a job well done and they raised about $350 by weekend's end. I had such a great time, was happy to see my husband and daughter stop by and enjoy the festivities and to see all the children and their families that came.

East Longmeadow Carnival for Bella Tucker

On Saturday July 3, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the East Longmeadow 4th of July Carnival with some of my sister queens Tamara Sacharczyk, Miss Massachusetts Teen World who just got back from Houston after competing for the Miss Teen US World title and placed top 10, Brooke Bibeault, Miss Massachusetts Teen USA who is off to compete in Miss Teen USA on July 24 in the Bahamas, and Trish Grzela, Miss Pink who won this title that is dedicated to Breast Cancer Survivors. We all got together to raise funds for Bella Tucker by selling raffles for four custom created jewelry pieces from Karmic Kreations by Kathleen O'Connor and a basket full of Aveda Products. Kathleen O'Connor who I met through Great Dog Rescue of New England while adopting one of my dogs saw my facebook post on the carnival event, could not attend, but wanted to do something to help raise funds for Bella. I was so touched that our paths crossed once again for another good cause, and I thank her for her generosity, her pieces are beautiful. Please visit her Facebook to view more items she's designed. Also thank you to Trish who owns two salons and donated the Aveda basket worth $100. It was amazing to see Trish and also Tamara's mom at work passing out flyers I printed out and asking everyone to spread the word about Bella's story. People just came by entering the raffle and also buying Bella Tucker Bracelets. Some people were just so touched that they just came by and made donations without even entering the raffle. At the end of the night, I was so excited to let the girls know that we raised $320, all proceeds to be donated to Friends of Bella.

Now, I look forward to personally meeting Bella on Friday, July 9 to give her all the donations we collected, and I am so excited to share this incredible experience with Brooke and Tamara. This visit will be the highlight of my year as this little girl represents strength and courage in a way that I have never seen before, and it makes me appreciate life so much when I hear how well Bella is doing these days! Stay tuned for my update on this incredible visit!

If you have not already, please go to http://www.friendsofbella.org/ where you can learn more about Bella and donate. I am also selling Bella Bracelets, so please let me know if you or anyone are interested in purchasing one. Thank you!

Send Off for Brooke Bibeault, Miss Massachusetts Teen USA

On Saturday evening I attended the send off party for Brooke, Miss Massachusetts Teen USA at her family home in Uxbridge, MA. Brooke and I first met when I asked her and Lacey, Miss Masschusetts USA to join me on a Habitat for Humanity build project in Bedford, MA back in February. Since then, Brooke and I have done so many events together bringing awareness to so many causes such as Habitat, Breast Cancer, American Heart Association, Best Buddies, to name a few and I am sure there will be so many more to come. We had an amazing appearance together at the UMass Worcester Pediatric Unit where we got to visit some great kids and their families, and we were so touched to be welcomed by everyone as we were. Brooke is an incredibly accomplished young woman with so many different sides to her. She is an amazing basketball player, has modeled in NY Fashion Week, has biked 100 miles to raise funds for Best Buddies, graduated high school this year, and also won Miss Massachusetts Teen USA on her second try. Its been an incredible year for her, and her next stop is Miss Teen USA in the Bahamas on July 24. I am so proud of Brooke, she is like a little sister/daughter to me. Her parents are two of the most genuine people I have ever met, and they have done such a great job of raising Brooke and her little brother. When I asked her father how they did it, he said it was easy as Brooke is one of the most humble people he has ever met, and that is such a true statement. I am so proud that Brooke is such an incredible role model to young women in our state (and hopefully the nation soon), and I look forward to the many years of her being a role model to my daughter Sierra!

Good Luck at Miss Teen USA Brooke! The Marshall Family loves you!

Habitat for Humanity House Dedication

On Saturday, June 26, I was invited to attend the house dedications for the Nguyen and Wiggins families with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell. This was such an honor for me as I worked on the Wiggins family home in February as well as in May. In February, I got together with Miss Massachusetts Teen USA, Brooke Bibeault, Miss Massachusetts USA, Lacey Wilson, and Miss Connecticut USA, Ashley Bickford to work on this house and we all met for the first time ever. As we arrived, we were all presented with Hot Pink Hard Hats that had Crowns attached to them. It was such a nice gesture and something that will forever stay in my life as a trophy of this experience during my reign as Mrs. Massachusetts International 2010. It was so incredibly cold that day, but Brooke, Lacey, and myself were put to work to dig the master sewer trench in the basement. This was no easy task as the ground was almost frozen solid. With a little assistance from a Jack Hammer, we were able to break through the ground and rock and dig about an 8 foot long by 1 foot deep trench. It was an amazing experience considering I have never done such a thing, and to see three beauty queens put there muscles to some hard work was awesome. We definitely changed the perception of beauty queens that day! In May I came back during the Women's Build Week with a few of my co-workers. That day I learned to use a few different table saws as well as a nail gun. I was taught how to measure out pieces of hardwood floor to put down, cut them down to measurement, and then install. I also nailed down the baseboards. The room that I worked on that day was for Dimitrius Wiggins who is the young gentleman that has Cerebral Palsy, and this home needed to be designed with handicap accessibility.

On the Saturday Dedication, I was finally able to meet Alexis and Dimitrius. I had heard so much about them from their mom Debra. Debra is herself an amazing woman and so deserving of this home, Bbing a single mom and raising three amazing kids, she's worked so hard. She also understands the dynamic of the Habitat for Humanity program and giving back to an organization that has helped her family. She was given the opportunity to choose a home anywhere in the world to have Habitat for Humanity help another family. Not only did she raise funds for this effort, but she chose a family in Bulgaria who she felt a connection with as one of the children also has Cerebral Palsy, and knowing how Habitat has helped her and Dimitrius, she wanted to give back to a family that would have the same type of help.

I cannot wait to get back from Chicago as my next task at hand will be to go shopping with little Alexis and pick out the perfect yellow color paint for her walls, and I am going to help her paint her room. She did mention that Micky Mouse is her favorite character, so I am thinking there will have to be a little Micky to keep her company. Dimitrius mentioned that his favorite colors are blue and red, and his favorite character is Spiderman, so I think I will have to come up with something creative for his room as well!

Congratulations to such a deserving family, and thank you to everyone at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell who make dreams become a reality. Thank you to Kim Trainor for welcoming me into the Habitat Family and I can't wait to work on the next home, which I hear is going to be built by women only, and I have been asked to be a part of that planning committee!

My Journey as Mrs. Massachusetts International 2010

As I prepare to leave for Chicago to compete in the Mrs. International Pageant, I reflect on my time as Mrs. Massachusetts International 2010, and cannot believe the journey that I have had. I have come a long way since being crowned in October, and I am so thankful for the opportunity. After not having been involved in pageantry since 1994, I decided to compete again eight weeks after my daughter was born as a means of motivation to get back into shape. The first pageant was a learning experience and I realized that I wanted to do more then just compete to get back in shape, I wanted to stand up for a passion very near and dear to my heart. In 2006, my mother was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast Cancer, and unfortunately in 2007, she lost her battle with this disease. Two years after losing her, I felt that I needed to share her story and show people how important awareness and early detection are. You see, I experienced two sides of cancer with my mother. In 1990, she was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer and was a survivor after surgery due to early detection. She lived so many years of celebrating life, birthdays, traveling, etc, until that July in 2006 when she, my dad, and I heard the words "You have breast cancer". Those words changed our lives forever. My mother was the strongest women I ever knew. Something that many people don't know is that my parents came to the United States in 1969 from Poland and Czechoslovakia with nothing but themselves and a few personal belongings. From that point on, they learned the English language, found jobs, started a family, and became US citizens. If that doesn't exemplify strength, nothing else does. As she fought this battle with breast cancer, I knew that our time was limited, and when she passed in November of 2007, I realized there would be so many things that she would miss out on in my life. Because she was so ill at the time, she never got to meet my boyfriend at the time, Rob, who in December became my Fiance, and in September of 2008 became my husband. She would never meet my beautiful daughter Sierra. Having gone through this loss and not being able to share these monumental milestones in life with her, made me want to fight to make a difference so that no other family has to experience the loss and saddness that we did without my mom. Awareness and early detection are the most critical factors in helping someone diagnosed with breast cancer conquer this disease. We are making leaps in research and our death rates have been decreasing since 1990 because people are aware, screening, and treatments are getting better each day.

I started my reign by making introductions of who I was and what my platform was and asking to volunteer wherever I could. Little did I know the doors about to open up to me. I was welcomed by Lowell General Hospital and asked to become their Honorary Chairperson for TeamWalk for CancerCare. I was asked to speak at several Relay for Life events with the American Cancer Society. I raised funds for LGH TeamWalk for CancerCare, Susan G. Komen, Avon Breast Cancer, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association to name a few. I participated in a Polar Plunge to raise funds for cancer and I also dug a master sewer trench and learned to use table saws and a nail gun to put down hardwood floors and baseboards at a house for Habitat for Humanity. At work I coordinated fundraisers which also provided educational sessions for breast cancer and also heart health for my fellow employees. I have traveled my state sharing my mother's story as well as mine and have learned so many new things with regards to breast cancer awareness, prevention, heart health, and working in my community. The confidence I have gained is amazing. When I spoke at my first Relay for Life Kick-off, I could barely get through my story without my voice quivering and tears rolling down my face, now I share the story with a smile and strength as I know I am making my mother proud and making a difference. This has not only been a rewarding journey, but also therapeutic one in a sense knowing that I am not the only daughter that has gone through this with the people who have shared their stories back with me and said thank you for coming out to share mine with them.

I want to thank Lowell General Hospital's Andrea Jackson, Ellen Kallman, Meg Lemire, and so many others for welcoming me into their organization and helping me spread my word. To Kevin Campbell, Helen Sullivan, Beverly Siebert, and all the other Surivors and Patient Families, you have filled my heart with hope and inspiration with all you do to remember your loved ones and for your survivorship. To Lisa Einstein at the American Heart Association who shared with me ideas on how to better my life with heart health as well as sharing knowledge that helped me earlier this year when my father was going through heart related issues, I thank you so much! To the American Cancer Society who has amazing programs for cancer patients and their families, thank you for putting together the most amazing event, The Relay for Life. To my Relay for Life Team, Queens for Relay, I thank you so much for all your hard work to raise funds and help our team come in second place for fundraising! The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition is an amazing organization that focuses on PREVENTION of breast cancer, I am so proud that you are an organization in my home state educating our residents on how to prevent breast cancer. The New England Coaltion for Cancer Survivorship which helps patients after they have fought the battle of their life and helps them in their new journey in life as Survivors. To the Chelmsford Rotary Club and the Town of Chelmsford for including me in your events and making me so proud of the town I live in! A new opportunity that came my way was winning a contest to be a Mommy Blogger with the Merrimack Valley Moms! I've always had a passion for writing, and this is an amazing opportunity to share and learn through writing on life as a mom.

I will be off on a jet plane to meet some of the most amazing women at the Mrs. International Pageant on July 13. Facebook has been such an amazing tool for us to create friendships well in advance. I am so looking forward to meeting my new friends Feryl, Cydney, Deanna, Julie, Shannon, Shana, Anita, Jennifer(s), Toni, Bernadette, Elaine, Nancy-Ellen, Cynthia, Heather, Remy! You have all been so supportive and encouraging to me, and I cannot wait to finally meet you! Being an only child, I feel like I have lots of sisters now! To all the other ladies that I will meet, it will be an incredible time, and I know that the Class of 2010 will produce the most amazing Mrs. International ever! Mary Richardson, thank you for choosing me as your Mrs. Massachusetts, your support, and belief in me. You have an amazing organization that supports women to be the best that they can be and to help them promote what is nearest and dearest to their hearts in their platforms and their families.

Thank you to my husband Rob, my daughter Sierra, my father, and all my family and friends! Your support and belief in me means more then you will ever know, and I could not have done this without you! Because of you and this experience, I am a better wife, mother, and person. Life is a gift, and each day needs to be cherished as if there is no tomorrow!

Thank you all for being a part of my life and I hope to make everyone proud as Mrs. Massachusetts at the Mrs. International Pageant and beyond!

Mom, I know that you are looking down on me and you have guided me down this path in life. Thank you for teaching me to be a strong woman and laying the foundation for me to be the mom that I am to Sierra! You are always in my heart and I know that you will be on that Mrs. International stage with me, in that dress that you chose for me so many years ago saying "Maybe someday when you get married and compete in a Mrs. Pageant, you can wear this!" That day has come and I know I will feel beautiful and have you right there with me! I miss you and love you!

Chicago, here I come, and I know "Tonight's Going to be a Good Night!"