Barbara Gonnelli. Barbara's battle with breast cancer
lasted for 13 years. Despite her own discomfort and
concerns, she always managed to smile, help, and
inspire people, never allowing cancer to destroy her
positive demeanor.
Barbara Gonnelli was neither a celebrity nor a saint.
She followed the teachings of St. Theresa, "the little
flower" who believed in doing the little things in life
well and with great love to help others. Cancer steals
the future from people of many ages. Barbara knew
she would not physically be here to see the rewarding
years of watching her grandchildren grow up.
Nevertheless, she found a way to smile with them while
aware of her imminent fate. Some of us incredibly
saw her smile as she passed on, which greatly
strengthened our faith.
The objective of the fund is simple: provide financial
aid directly to families touched by cancer, autism
and other disabling diseases. Smile Forever creates
an opportunity for you to do something to help your
community in a meaningful and direct way. Smile
Forever depends on contributed donations and
sponsors. We concentrate primarily on serving
Bergen and surrounding counties in northern New
Jersey; however, we will extend our help on a larger
geographical area depending on sponsor availability.
Your compassion and concern for the less fortunate
in our community is making a difference. There are
many people who have told us we are one of the few
organizations in this area that respond directly and
with a sense of urgency. We make sure children and
household needs are the primary use of funds. We
are proud of what we can do and appreciate anyone
who helps us make patients smile. All our work is
a labor of love.
We are able to take donations through mail,
phone or paypal.