Benefit for Nancy Canizaro-Maloney; tumor releasing chemicals into her brain

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Friends and family of Nancy Canizaro-Maloney, a Poland resident suffering from a brain tumor, are planning a spaghetti dinner and an auction fundraiser from 1 to 6 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Ursuline High School cafeteria, 750 Wick Ave.

Proceeds from the event will help offset medical bills that Nancy, 53, and her family have incurred during her battle with a benign tumor that has been releasing chemical meningitis into her brain, causing intense pressure, pain and dizziness.

A critical and costly surgery is scheduled for Monday at the Cleveland Clinic.

“She has had these symptoms for over six years, but the tumor was discovered via an MRI only recently,” said Nancy’s daughter, Megan Maloney, of Boardman.

“Previously, she was being treated for trigeminal neuralgia. The diagnosis changed after her symptoms grew severely worse and we visited a different doctor,” Maloney said.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal, or fifth, cranial nerve. It is a form of pain associated with nerve injury or nerve lesion that causes extreme, sporadic, sudden burning or shock-like facial pain that lasts anywhere from a few seconds to as long as two minutes per episode.

The attacks can occur in quick succession, in volleys lasting as long as two hours, according to National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

A 1980 graduate of Ursuline High School, Nancy is a shipping coordinator at Central One Optical in Boardman. She has missed a considerable amount of work in recent months because of her condition.

She has three daughters: Maloney, Gina of Struthers and Rebecca of Austintown; and two sisters, Annette of Beavercreek and Carol of Boardman. Her parents are Anna Mae Canizaro of Youngstown and the late Benjamin Canizaro.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under and can be purchased from Maureen Donofrio at 330-565-7105, Kathy Cain at 330-518-4035 or Jeanette Garvey at jgarvey10@gmail.com. Takeout will be available.

Patrons can pay at the door; however, advance ticket sales are encouraged to better plan food quantities, organizers said.

Donation of auction items can be coordinated with Kim DeSantis at 330-502-4697.

Donations are being accepted at the Support for Nancy’s Surgery page on GoFundMe.com. Information is available on the Spaghetti Dinner for Nancy Canizaro-Maloney page on Facebook.