There are many reasons that people do what they do. One of the strongest and most impressive reasons to create the opportunity to help someone else is to honor one who lived a lifestyle of helping others. Shirley Mae Dove was that one who helped others and her daughter, Christine Fabrizio, is one who is helping others, now, in honor of her mother. The legacy of Shirley Mae Dove lives on through the foundation created in her name.
The Shirley Mae Dove Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) community-based nonprofit organization that provides support and services to cancer patients who are in need. The organization was started in memory of the late Shirley Mae Dove. After years of fighting, Shirley lost her battle with breast cancer in 2004. However, through the foundation in her name, her legacy will continue to provide care and comfort for others. She always helped those who needed help, it didn’t matter the skin color religion or creed. If she had something to give she would.
Shirley was raised by her mom in a family of 12 children. They did not have much but Shirley always found the good in everything. She would bake goods from scratch and sell them to have money for food for the family. Whatever the need, she found a way to get it covered. Getting the foundation started in Shirley’s memory, was Christine’s way to continue her mother’s good deeds through love and caring for others as she has always done.
Part of the Past Activities for the foundation included: a fundraiser for those who were battling Uterine Cancer. It was held in October of 2015. However, the sum raised was not what was projected, due to a lot of other events going on at the same time. Fun activities for the kids included: pony rides, face paintings, dunk tanks, and kids games as well as adult activities. There were 12 vendors there on site, selling items and in turn, donating a portion of their proceeds to the foundation. It was an overall good day and event.
Present Activities for the foundation are as follows: Cleaning houses and donating the proceeds to the foundation, running errands for those who can’t get around or have family members, helping them set up Meals on Wheels--if they would like that option and can’t cook. We make meals for them. We work with other organizations to help those who need furniture, or household items due to loss of home, or to damage of some kind. We take donations of furniture and household items. We then either sell it for cash and donate the money to the foundation or use it for someone who needs it. We do not take a salary of any kind at present. The purpose of the organization is to give back to the community.
The foundation works with women, men and children. We are currently focusing on the Southwest region of Florida. Future planning includes holding a Golf/Fishing Tournament. We want to raise more money to help with future goals that center around taking the foundation national and expanding outside of Florida’s borders. Other Future Activities are to take the foundation across the globe, not only helping those in Florida, but the entire United States.
The foundation helps those who are in hospice houses, or get treatment from home, with care baskets. These care baskets are filled with fruits, vegetables and nutrients that they need to thrive and get stronger, while getting treatment. Opening a thrift store to continue to raise money to help as many people as possible, is a future goal of the organization. All of the proceeds from the merchandise sales from the thrift store will go to the foundation.
Christine explains her motives in her own words, “I want to make a difference in the world. I know it does not start with just one person, but I sure can make someone’s life a little better. I am trying to get volunteers who have time to donate to a worthy cause to have the operating expenses minimal. I would like to be able to take the foundation to a higher ground and not just stop at cancer. I would like to help anyone who needs help who has a life threatening illness. The lord has driven me to this cause for now and leads me through my journey of helping others just as my mom would be doing if she was still alive.
The Story of Christina: I moved from Colorado to Florida in 2005. My mom and my step dad, Joe, moved as well to get away from the snow and the bad weather. My mother wanted all of us as a family together again. Her breast cancer was in remission and she was feeling great, so the doctor gave her the ok to move with the instruction to keep in touch with her new doctor once she got here. At first I really didn’t like it here, but after a while it started to grow on me. Being from the cold and in a place with change of seasons, it was hard to adjust to not seeing that anymore. I have moved away from Maryland, where I grew up most of my life from the age of 8. Once I turned 18, I left home to move to Colorado. So I was never away from my mother at all until this time. I called every day just to talk and wished I was there with her. After being in Colorado for about 14 years It was time to get back to where my mother was. She was diagnosed with Breast cancer again in 1999. It was the hardest thing I had to hear, when I got the phone call. I couldn’t do anything about it. I couldn’t leave due to financial reasons. But I did keep in contact as I always have.
My mother being the person she was, decided to have a breast removed that was infected with cancer. She didn’t want to take chances on it coming back. She did her chemo and radiation treatments and lost her hair. I was so scared and was saddened--not being able to be there with her when she needed me the most. We had family and another sister who was there who was relying all the information to me. As she got her treatments and she was getting better, I was much happier. We all moved to Florida in 2005 and all was good. She was clear and no cancer. I thought now we can finally, as a family, do things and spend time that was lost since I was gone for so long. It was such a great accomplishment that she had rid herself of cancer and was back to being herself without any medical issues holding her back. If anyone knew my mom, they loved her. She could make you laugh with the jokes and funny faces she made for fun. She fed you, clothed you, and if you needed money she gave it to you. The hope of spending lost time with my mom and having her back quickly came to an end. Shortly after we all moved to Florida, she started complaining of lower back pain. At first we thought it was from a fall that she had experienced previously in Maryland at her brother’s house. She went in for a blood draw and discovered it was Cancer. Her cancer was back. We didn’t know where or how bad until they got the results. They checked her back and did a MRI and it showed, not only cancer, but it had spread all over her body and was slowly hitting every good organ. She didn’t want to go through chemo again. She said it was not worth it and she knew her time was up.
She spent time with us as a family to no end. She kept everyone together. As the months turned into days and days turned in to hours, we all were so scared. I wanted to be close to her so I got in the bed with her and cuddled with her and to let her know that it was ok. You know that when they start talking in tongues that the lord is talking to them. We knew God was telling her it was time. So with one last breath, she was gone. I did not want to leave her side and the coroner was trying to take her body. I wanted to stay as long as I could, because I knew in that moment--once she was gone, I wouldn’t see her again.
My Mother raised a good woman. This is who I am today. She taught me to help others. That is why I started the Shirley Mae Dove Foundation in her memory. No One should have to watch a loved one die. If it could have been prevented, or she had the care and help needed to have that chance--my mother would have had that chance, if only the doctors had caught it in time the second time around. It was in her last blood draw before she left Maryland and moved to Florida and the doctor did not catch it. So if there is a second chance, then I want to be the one who gives it. Life is such a precious gift that we only have once. Let’s live life to the fullest and enjoy every ounce of it.! I started working and my sister and I started our own cleaning company in 2010 when our current jobs went under. Have been doing it ever since and then one night at 1:40a in the morning, my mom came to me in a dream. We were talking about a lot of stuff and then wrote a poem and then started the foundation. Words just came to me left and right and ideas were flowing through my head. Then the Shirley Mae Dove Foundation was born.
