Disabato: Richards family helps Chappettos ease heartache

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Julie Chappetto, Colleen McCabe-Ferrara and Richards boys basketball coach John Chappetto. Julie is John's wife and the biological birth daughter of Colleen, who died Jan. 7, 2012, of complications from breast cancer. | Supplied photo

Updated: March 17, 2012 10:19AM

Once every season, Richards’ boys basketball team selects an organization to donate proceeds from one home game.

It’s a way for Richards coach John Chappetto to demonstrate to his players the importance of assisting others.

This year’s cause — providing financial assistance to the American Cancer Society — hits home for John and his wife, Julie.

Julie grew up in Oak Lawn and is a graduate of Queen of Peace.

Her parents, Carol and Dan Carroll, provided a loving upbringing for Julie and brothers, Dan and Michael, and sister, Patty.

“We had a great childhood,” Julie said. “There are so many great memories. My mom and dad were very supportive of all of us.”

Each child was made aware at an early age they were adopted.

Julie was no different than most people in that she had a desire to find her biological parents.

“My mother and father were very open about it and told us if we ever wanted to find our birth parents they would help us if we needed them,” said Julie, whose father passed away two years ago.

In 2004, Julie, with help from Catholic Charities and the internet, made contact with her birth mother, Colleen McCabe-Ferrara.

The two formed a relationship over the next seven-plus years, one that extended to the six children Colleen had after putting Julie up for adoption. It grew strong.

“We didn’t have a mother/daughter relationship — she didn’t raise me,” Julie, 41, said. “We had a friendship. She was close to my kids (Charlie, Louie, Ryan and Jimmy). We were close.”

The family occasionally visited Colleen at her home in Paxton, located in central Illinois.

They last visited Jan. 1. Colleen had been diagnosed with breast cancer in October and was on the road to recovery — or so it appeared.

“She looked great,” John said.

Six days after their visit, on Jan. 7, Colleen died after developing an infection from the surgery that was done to combat the cancer.

“I kept thinking to myself, ‘Seven-and-a-half years, I got gypped,’ ” Julie said. “But I’m lucky to have had what I had with her. She at least got to see that I was doing OK and that I have a good life. I was able to tell her ‘Thanks for what you did.’ ”

What Colleen did was give Julie an opportunity to live a life Colleen couldn’t provide, but the Carrolls could.

“Colleen was so grateful for what my mom and dad did for me,” Julie said. “They all got to meet each other. Colleen knew she couldn’t give me what my parents did.”

Julie is touched by Richards’ gesture to donate the proceeds from Friday’s game in Colleen’s name.

“Colleen was a hospice nurse for a living,” Julie said. “People have told us all the things she would do for people with cancer. She was very selfless. Colleen took in a cat of one of her patients who had died because she knew the cat would be homeless. I think Colleen would be proud to have her name associated with this.”

While providing a teaching moment for his players, it’s also a way for John to honor someone who has meant a lot to his family.

“This is a good time to do this,” John said. “Colleen was a part of our family and meant a lot to us. I really appreciate the administration supporting this cause. Obviously, it hits close to home.”