NEW YORK (PIX11) -- For several years during her childhood, 17-year-old Elle Paradiso spent time at Staten Island resident Joe Dimartino’s famous Christmas display, which doubles as a fundraiser for pediatric cancer patients.
“I’ve been going here since I was little,” said Elle.
But she's no longer just an ordinary visitor following her shock diagnosis with leukemia; she’s seeing all of this - through a different lens, lined with both affection and appreciation.
“I was aware they donated. I just didn’t know exactly where. When you get diagnosed, you start to pick up on the places that donate. It was nice to find out where, after all these years, where the donations actually were going to,” said Elle.
Dimartino, the mastermind behind the attraction, said Elle is now another kind of VIP, a “very important pediatric cancer patient."
There is no waiting in line for any other patient strong enough to visit.
“Sometimes the line is overwhelming; it goes all the way down the block. They get the golden pass, and they come straight in,” said Dimartino.
Elle’s parents say they're simply grateful their daughter, whose birthday falls on Christmas Day, will be here to celebrate another one.
“It’s something that you don’t expect. And it’s definitely not something you want to do. But I’m grateful that we were able to be home,” said mom Jill Paradiso.
At the top of Dimartino's driveway, a red donation box hints at the original conception for this gargantuan effort — a testament to his late wife, who was killed in one of the Twin Towers during the 9/11 terror attacks.
Dimartino said she would often donate money to a national cancer charity, so he decided 100% of the donations would benefit young cancer patients in his community.
“On that horrible day, they were there for me. This is my way of saying thank you and paying back to the neighborhood,” Dimartino said.
Last year, the holiday extravaganza raised more than $70,000 for the Staten Island Hospital Pediatric Cancer Unit. And recently, this holiday season, Dimartino got to meet a beneficiary of his community’s goodwill. After all of those visits before her cancer diagnosis, Elle got to meet Dimartino.
“It’s emotional. It touches my heart,” Dimartino said.
This is Dimartino's 22nd year leading a month-long transformation of his home into an attraction so popular it now boasts musical performances and a food truck.
Dimartino said he's glad to see all of the “ooohs and aaahs" and the smiles on the faces of all ages. But being able to help pediatric cancer patients makes it all worth it.
“Because there’s a lot of people, this time of year – they’re having hardships,” he added.
Elle is determined to win that fight.
“It’s just something that you live with. I’m done with treatment in May, on Memorial Day, actually,” said Elle.
