Friends Of The Delia Family Reaching Out For Help

By John Voket

Friends and professional associates of Newtown resident Dave Delia and his family are in the early stages of reaching out to the community to try and help offset the tremendous expense of emergency brain surgery and follow-up treatments after doctors discovered a brain tumor and performed an emergency operation July 13.

Torrey “Chip” O’Connor, who said he has known Mr Delia for nearly 20 years, is heading up the effort which may also include an organized fundraising effort among Mr Delia’s many friends and professional contacts in the Connecticut Tree Protection Association (CTPA), as well as fundraising event in Redding where his business Royal Oak LLC is located.

“He’s a good friend who got dealt a bad blow,” Mr O’Connor told The Bee Monday. “It’s an aggressive cancer and he went into the situation kind of tight as it is.”

Mr O’Connor said Royal Oak LLC was a small company and that Mr Delia participated in every aspect of the business, so being sidelined during his recovery means the business may have to temporarily suspend or significantly curtail its projects.

“On Tuesday, July 12, Dave was diagnosed with a brain tumor,” Mr O’Connor writes in an appeal letter he is circulating. “After immediate surgery on Wednesday, July 13, it was determined [that] 97 percent was able to be removed. Dave has a long battle ahead of him with chemo and radiation treatments.”

According to his friend, Mr Delia his wife, Karen, and their five children ranging in age from 10 to 18 years — Colby, Cameo, Hannah, Alessandra, and George — “all need our help, and some prayers would be good, too,” Mr O’Connor said.

With the hope of assisting the Delia family with their ongoing expenses, a special fund has been set up. One hundred percent of the donations will go directly to the Delia family.

“Any amount of donation will be greatly appreciated,” Mr O’Connor stated. “Thank you very much for your consideration.”

Anyone wishing to donate directly may do so to a specially designated fund at the Newtown branch of the Savings Bank of Danbury. Donors may make checks payable to Karen Delia, and send them to Savings Bank of Danbury, Attn Sharon Maynard, 20 Church Hill Road, Newtown CT 06470

Cash and checks can also be delivered to the branch, or to any Savings Bank of Danbury office.

Anyone wishing to help further in any way can contact Mr O’Connor directly at 203-778-5063 or 203-313-4431.