A Little Green Brings a Lot of Happiness
Katie was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer 11 days before her 30th birthday in December 2014. She had to begin an aggressive chemotherapy regimen in January 2015, which was followed by a bilateral double mastectomy, radiation and reconstructive surgery. Due to the nature of the treatments, Katie and her husband, Rich, had to spend a lot of time at their New Jersey home and looked for projects that would bring new life to their surroundings. One of the projects they wanted to complete the most was to put artificial grass next to their patio with the dream of creating an at-home oasis.
Paula Korinko, sales manager at Synthetic Lawns & Golf, Inc., set up an appointment and estimate with Katie and Rich, and after just a few minutes in their company, she realized that there was something special about them. Rich never left Katie’s side while she was there. His arm was around her, and he was smiling from ear to ear with every word she said. Korinko commented on how lucky they were to have the day off together, but little did she know why. Katie, with her gorgeous smile and strikingly beautiful short haircut, told Korinko her story. She smiled through the whole conversation and was sure she had it beat. And of course, Rich held her close as they spoke.
When the sales manager drove back to the office and called Tom, the company’s project manager, to tell him the story, he agreed that they would donate this project. “They called Katie and Rich to tell them the news, and they were so thrilled and so thankful,” said Korinko. Paul Martino, owner of Synthetic Lawns & Golf, Inc., agreed, “This is what separates our company from our competitors! We have families, wives and children, and we understand the difficulties that so many of us have to face. Kindness can cure so much.”
The couple was ecstatic, and Rich said, “Thanks to Paula and the Synthetic Lawns & Golf team’s donation, Katie’s and my wish came true. When she looks out her window this winter, Katie will always have a smile on her face because her beautiful new SYNLawn will stay green no matter what the season.”
