Yonkers business owner presented with proclamation for saving a cancer patient's hair
William D'Ariano, also known as Chilly Willy, provided Lily Goldstein with dry ice for a cold cap treatment, which helps to reduce the impacts of chemotherapy on hair.
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In early November, Lily Goldstein was diagnosed with aggressive lymphoma. She says doctors had discovered a large tumor on her abdomen and more tumors throughout it as well.
She was supposed to receive her first dose of chemotherapy on Nov. 10 but refused after seeing that a side effect of chemotherapy is hair loss. This left her with a difficult decision.
"I will take my hair and pass away versus doing chemo and having the chance it goes away. Like, it was really hair or death to me," said Goldstein.
After some research, her family decided on cold capping treatment, a method of using dry ice to prevent hair damage and loss throughout chemotherapy.
Unfortunately, Goldstein had complications with the cold capping treatment the day she was supposed to receive chemotherapy.
This is where William D'Ariano comes in.
Goldstein's family contacted D'Ariano, who owns Chilly Willy and Cool Carl's Ice, and within two hours, he sent over 40 pounds of dry ice for the treatment.
"When it's involved with the cancer patients with the cold cap, I go that extra mile. They have enough on their plate and I make sure they get it," said D'Ariano.
Once Goldstein secured the dry ice, she agreed to begin chemotherapy. She credits D'Ariano's selfless act with saving her life.
"Him coming in and bringing the ice literally saved my life because my hair was everything. I would rather basically die without it. He basically saved it for me," she says.
Currently, she is receiving both chemotherapy and cold cap treatments and is expected to finish chemotherapy in March.
