Coping with the loss of their daughter is a daily challenge, but the Rizk family wants to make sure their little girl stays alive within the community.
About five months after the passing of 4-year-old Rita Rizk, who was born with a number of birth defects and heart problems, her family has begun setting up a foundation in her honor. Getting the ball rolling for the Rita’s Love Bugs Foundation, Inc., has become quite the obstacle, though. The Rizk family has no experience creating a nonprofit and after spending the last four years struggling to pay for hospital bills and then funeral expenses, they are seeking help from their Colonie community to make the foundation come alive.
“The foundation will provide emotional and financial assistance to families who have a family member suffering from congenital heart defect,” Michella Rizk, Rita’s mother, said. “The foundation will raise awareness and provide information to the general public about congenital heart defect and provide support for families going through crisis.”
Rita spent 85 percent of her entire life at Boston Children’s Hospital undergoing surgeries. Her mother stayed by her side and her father commuted back and forth from New York, but the cost of living in a hospital and constant travel took a toll on the Rizk family.
“When we were living in the hospital … we didn’t really get any help except from churches. Sometimes I couldn’t even pay my cell phone bill. I know what parents are going through in the hospital with a sick child,” Rizk said.
Ideas for the foundation include something as small as setting up a pizza and movie night for families staying at the hospital to something larger like assisting with medical bills and the purchase of medication. Although their family had Medicaid, Rizk said in just two years, they had amassed more than $100,000 in travel costs.
“It’s very, very expensive to live away from home in the hospital,” she said.
On Valentine’s Day, the foundation was officially established within New York State but in order to officially become a nonprofit, the Rizk family needs $1,500 to file the paperwork and another $800 to file with the IRS. Michella Rizk said if there is someone who could help fill out the paperwork it could help tremendously and cut out that extra $1,500.
To help raise some money to establish the nonprofit, Boutros Florist on Albany Shaker Road in Loudonville donated $1 for every dozen roses they sold on Valentine’s Day. They were able to raise $125, then the company itself donated another $500.
Kathy Boutros, of Boutros Florist, said she hopes other businesses will reach out and help the Rizk family.
“I think it’s very noble of her to start up something like this. I’ve seen … other family members struggling to go back and forth from where they’re located to the hospital,” Boutros said. “I wish there were more foundations similar to this out there to help other people.”
Boutros said they she will hold other drives at the flower shop during St. Patrick’s Day and Easter to raise money for the foundation.
Once the foundation is fully established as a nonprofit, Rizk said they hope to hold fundraisers and events to raise money to assist families in need. On Jan. 18, the family held a toy drive to honor the one-year anniversary for Rita’s heart transplant. After advertising on the Rita’s Love Bug Facebook page, more than 250 toys were donated, which were distributed to the Boston Children’s Hospital and Albany Medical Center. Rizk said they hope to make the toy donation a yearly drive.
“It was great. People just wanted to donate and help,” she said.
As a grieving but determined mother, Rizk is throwing herself into the work of Rita’s Love Bugs not only for those in difficult situations, but for herself.
“The time is passing more, but we’re missing her more and more. I feel like I’m doing this foundation so I have something to do in her name and keep her memory out there,” she said. “I know I’m doing something for her just to keep myself busy and keep her name going all the time.”
For more information or to help, visit the Facebook page “Rita’s Love Bugs.”