District 88 alumni, parents and friends are making a positive difference in the fight against COVID-19
As we continue to deal with the impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we would like to highlight individuals with a connection to District 88 who are on the front line, fighting to win the battle against COVID-19.
These Addison Trail and Willowbrook alumni, parents and friends are true heroes – putting the safety, health and well-being of others before their own.
Christine Brzoska: Willowbrook alumna, class of 2013
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Brzoska is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), working in one of Rush University Medical Center's COVID-19 intensive care units (ICU).
BJ Macias: Willowbrook alumnus, class of 2001
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Macias has been helping children celebrate their birthdays during the COVID-19 pandemic by creating birthday signs, dressing up as a clown on stilts, juggling, creating balloon creatures and making personal visits to kids’ homes – all for free. He has been bringing many smiles to children’s faces during this difficult time.
Gianna Giometti: Addison Trail alumna, class of 2015
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After graduating from Addison Trail, Giometti enrolled in nursing school. After college, she became a registered nurse at AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center La Grange. Giometti is working on the medical-surgical floor that has transformed into a COVID-19 floor, and she is on the frontline, taking care of patients who have COVID-19.
Kathryn Mijares (class of 2008), Casey D’Ambrose (class of 2010) and Erik Fossen (class of 2006): Addison Trail alumni
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Mijares (left) and D’Ambrose (center) are registered nurses in the emergency department at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. D’Ambrose is holding flowers, dinner and dessert sent to the entire emergency department from the Scorza family of Addison. Fossen (right) is an emergency room doctor at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.
James Campbell: Addison Trail alumnus, class of 2006
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Campbell is a supervisor at 3M. According to Wikipedia, 3M operates in the fields of industry, worker safety, U.S. health care and consumer goods and produces more than 60,000 products under several brands. Campbell is an essential worker, sending supplies to aid in the COVID-19 relief effort.
Laura (Barrett) Larkin: Addison Trail alumna, class of 1984
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Larkin is an Advanced Practice Nurse with Edward-Elmhurst Health. She is working hard to create new protocol and procedures to keep employees and patients safe from COVID-19.
Zoe Ericson-Staton: Willowbrook alumna, class of 2019
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Ericson-Staton continues to work at AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center La Grange during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also is pursuing her nursing degree.
Saifullah Siddiqui: Husband of Addison Trail alumna Safira Siddiqui
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Siddiqui is a respiratory therapist at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, working to battle COVID-19 cases experienced by veterans. He is fighting to save the lives of those who have fought for the U.S.
Anthony Coglianese (class of 2015) and Kailey Kirk (class of 2013): Addison Trail alumni
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Coglianese is an ER Technician at Elmhurst Hospital. Kirk is a nurse at Elmhurst Hospital.
Patricia Hill: Mother of Willowbrook junior Lekendra Hill
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Hill is a Front Entrance Screener at Elmhurst Hospital.
Willowbrook senior Logan Rattana and his father, Paul Rattana
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Logan (pictured above, left) works at Walgreens as a Pharmacy Technician. Paul (pictured above, right) is leading four Walgreens COVID-19 mobile testing sites in the Chicago area.
Sharon Busse DiBenardo: Addison Trail alumna, class of 1989, and mother of three Addison Trail students
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Busse DiBenardo is a Respiratory Therapist at AMITA Health St. Alexius Medical Center.
Julissa Murillo: Addison Trail alumna, class of 2014
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Murillo is a Receptionist at ACCESS Martin T. Russo Family Health Center. In April, she tested positive for COVID-19. A month later, she was volunteering to work at a clinic that became a testing site.
Crystal Marinelli: Addison Trail alumna, class of 2014
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Marinelli is a Registered Nurse at AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center La Grange.
Luis Solano: Addison Trail alumnus, class of 2007
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Solano is the Pharmacy Manager at Walgreens in Vernon Hills. He was a part of the first group of pharmacists in the country and company to perform COVID-19 testing for patients.
Angela DelGiudice: Willowbrook alumna, class of 2002
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DelGiudice is an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse at Rush Oak Park Hospital, working with patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
Collette Williams Kalal: Willowbrook alumna, class of 2008
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Williams Kalal is completing her final year of residency at Loyola University Medical Center (she will graduate in June), where she is training in the Internal Medicine and Pediatrics combined program. Along with her residency rotations, Williams Kalal served as a physician supervisor for the medical students running the COVID-19 triage hotline and was part of a resident committee that helped coordinate hospital policies for COVID-19. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Williams Kalal has worked with the Infectious Disease consult team, outpatient clinics and Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at Loyola, as well as the General Medicine floors at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital.
William Menzer: Willowbrook alumnus, class of 2014
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Menzer is a PhD student with the International Max Planck Research School at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Menzer is working with Eisbach Bio to find small molecules that might be able to stop SARS-CoV-2 from replicating, which is akin to a targeted antibiotic to help fight COVID-19. He also is working on a novel class of anticancer drugs.
Brittany Klco: Addison Trail alumna, class of 2005
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Klco is a Charge Nurse in the endoscopy unit at Elmhurst Hospital. She helps make sure staff members have the personal protective equipment necessary to safely perform procedures.
Christina Capuani: Addison Trail alumna, class of 2014
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Capuani is an Emergency Room Nurse at AMITA Health Alexian Brothers Medical Center Elk Grove Village.
Kevin Luu: Addison Trail alumnus, class of 2014
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Luu works as a pricing analyst for Medline Industries, Inc.
Andy Bouse: Willowbrook alumnus, class of 2006, and Mary (Abbinanti) Bouse: Addison Trail alumna, class of 2005
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Andy and Mary are nurses, working directly with COVID-19 patients. Andy works at Fox Valley Dialysis, and Mary works at Rush University Medical Center.
Mike Hay: Willowbrook alumnus, class of 2020
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Hay has worked at Dominick's Pizza and Pasta in Villa Park for about two and a half years, and he has continued to work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as an essential employee. He also has volunteered nearly every week to help with District 88's food distribution program (which provides meals for community members) since the program began in March, and he plans to continue to help during the summer. For more information, go to www.dupage88.net/coronavirus.
Matt “Westy” Westerhoff: Willowbrook alumnus, class of 2002
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Westerhoff is an Operating Room Registered Nurse at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital. He has been a nurse for 12 years and has worked with cancer patients, in hospice and in an Orthopedic Trauma Unit. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also has helped in the Intensive Care Unit, as well as other units.
Cynthia (class of 2010) and Alex (class of 2016) Hernandez: Addison Trail alumni
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Cynthia is a Nurse at AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale, treating patients who have COVID-19. Alex is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) at Elmhurst Hospital.
Maddelin Noel: Addison Trail alumna, class of 2015
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Noel is a Patient Care Tech at Elmhurst Hospital, treating patients who have COVID-19.
Julie Lidgus: Willowbrook alumna, class of 2010
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Lidgus is an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, working on the front line to treat patients who have COVID-19.
Nehal Pandya, PharmD, BCPS: Willowbrook alumnus, class of 2002
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Pandya is a Pharmacist at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital. He has been a Pharmacist for 12 years and works in multiple areas such as the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to help ensure patients meet appropriate criteria for use of remdesivir, tocilizumab and hydroxychloroquine, which are administered to treat COVID-19.
Dr. Amy Addante: Addison Trail alumna, class of 2006
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Dr. Addante is an OB-GYN practicing in St. Louis. During the COVID-19 outbreak, she has continued to provide prenatal care and other needed reproductive health services to the women of St. Louis.
Kenia Chamorro: Addison Trail alumna, class of 2015
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Chamorro is a Registered Nurse at Central DuPage Hospital, working in the COVID-19 unit.
Rubi Cobos: Addison Trail alumna, class of 2015
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Cobos is a Patient Care Tech at AMITA Health Alexian Brothers Medical Center Elk Grove Village.
Karime Martinez: Addison Trail alumna, class of 2019
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Martinez is a Nursing Assistant in the post-surgical care department at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital. She also is pursuing her nursing degree at Elmhurst College.
Tina Giralamo: Addison Trail alumna, class of 2012
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Giralamo is a Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist and a Certified Cardiac Rehab Professional in the cardiac rehab and stress-testing department of cardiology at Swedish Hospital. When Giralamo’s department was shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital asked people to volunteer in the emergency department. Without hesitation, Giralamo said she would help, and she has continued to work on the front line during these trying times.
Sheila (Nguyen) Ryan: Willowbrook alumna, class of 1999
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Ryan is the System Executive for Clinical Research at Memorial Hermann Health System in Texas, which is currently experiencing a statewide surge in COVID-19 cases. She administratively oversees all clinical trials for a treatment for COVID-19, including novel drug trials using hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir and convalescent plasma.
Debby (Buck) Glazier: Addison Trail alumna, class of 1981
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Glazier works as an Operating Room Tech and in the COVID-19 clinic at Mercyhealth. She has been a scrub tech for 15 years.
Helen D. Karahalios: Addison Trail alumna, class of 2013
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Karahalios is a Clinical Pharmacy Technician at Option Care Health. She makes the drugs (antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs and TPNs) and offers strategies for symptom management for people who have minor viral illnesses.
Christian Cloutier: Willowbrook alumnus, class of 2016
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Cloutier is volunteering on a daily basis – rain or shine – at Tri-Town YMCA to support families who need food during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gabriel Regan-Cloutier: Willowbrook student, class of 2021
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Gabriel volunteered with the summer food service program, which is a partnership between Addison School District 4, School District 45, Salt Creek School District 48, District 88, Arbor Management, Chartwells and Cottage Hill Operating Company. The program took place from March 17 to Aug. 18 and provided free meals to all residents up to the age of 18. Gabriel helped at Jefferson Middle School. He also raises money for the local food pantry; donates food and clothing to children in need; and helps senior citizens with snow removal, cutting lawns and grocery shopping. Gabriel plans to join the United States Marine Corps after he graduates from Willowbrook.
Lindsey Young: Willowbrook alumna, class of 2008
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Lindsey is a registered nurse and a nurse educator for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Loyola University Medical Center. One of Lindsey’s recent patients, Leslie Pandolfi, was so impressed with the level of service and compassion Lindsey provided, she posted about her positive experience on Facebook (see the image below). Leslie and her partner, Amanda, welcomed their son, Ollie, on June 4, and Lindsey was his first nurse. Leslie was unable to see Ollie for more than 30 hours after she gave birth, and Lindsey kept her informed and patiently answered all of her questions. The two still stay in touch.
Maricela Wesby: Addison Trail alumna, class of 1997, and parent of an Addison Trail student (Damian, class of 2023)
Photo by American Red Cross
Maricela has coordinated 19 blood drives in the past three years. The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois recently honored Maricela for her service to the community. She and two of her colleagues were named as the 2020 Blood Services Heroes. In 2017, Maricela lost her 15-year-old niece, AnaVictoria, to leukemia. AnaVictoria’s illness, and the impact of blood donations on her young life, motivated Maricela and her colleagues to organize blood drives. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/y2qreh9h.
Do you know an Addison Trail or Willowbrook graduate, parent/guardian or someone with a connection to District 88 who’s making a positive difference in the fight against COVID-19? If so, please complete the form at www.dupage88.net/FightCOVID-19, so we can share the efforts and achievements of these heroes in our newsletter and on our website and social media.