Manalapan native who
is battling leukemia
Friends rally around
Manalapan native who
is battling leukemia
By linda denicola
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — More than 150 people attended a fund-raising dinner held to raise money to help with the medical bills that are piling up for Holly Diamont Brown, 44, a Freehold Township woman who is fighting valiantly for her life.
Sallie DiFedele, Brown’s sister-in-law, said the fund-raiser and auction held at the American Legion in Freehold on Sept. 14 was a great success. Not only did 150 people attend the spaghetti dinner, but even more sent money.
"We raised $7,000, and Holly was thrilled to see people she hadn’t seen in a long time," DiFedele said.
DiFedele helped to organize the event when she found out how much stress the medical bills were putting on Holly and her husband, Robert. She felt that if people who knew Holly or her family members heard about the event they would come. And they did.
Brown’s health problems began when she was diagnosed with leukemia in July 2001. She has been hospitalized for most of the past year, and although a bone marrow transplant was successful, there have been many complications.
"She had to have gall bladder surgery and has had many infections. She’s only been home from the hospital for about six weeks out of the whole year. It’s just been one thing after the other," DiFedele said.
Holly Brown grew up in Manalapan and the extended family has connections all over Monmouth County. The Browns have two daughters, Dana, who lives in Alabama, and Heather, who lives at home. Holly’s mother, Dube Diamont, now lives in northern New Jersey. Her sister, Stacey, lives in Princeton and her brother, Steven, lives in New York City.
It was Steven who donated the bone marrow for the transplant that Holly had in February.
Contributions can be made by calling DiFedele at (732) 961-0609.