Adina Marie Perullo, aka ‘The Storm,’ passed away on August 7, 2023. She is survived by her husband and two beautiful boys, along with both her parents and brother. Adina was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in June of 2019, where she fought a long battle consisting of preventive treatments, doctors’ appointments, surgeries and radiation for over a year all during Covid. Unfortunately, after her first-annual scan, it showed the cancer had spread to her liver. She was then diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in December 2020.
While fighting her own battle, she was still trying to help others by speaking at breast cancer events, filming commercials, and was featured in numerous news channel segments. She was a keynote speaker at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer awareness walk. She was on channel 7 and channel 12 news channels. She spoke at The Breast Cancer Conference of Nassau County, along with Nassau County executive, Laura Curran. She was featured in the NY Cancer and Blood Specialists magazine as well as their commercial.
Her force was something to not reckon with. She strived to get the message out that ‘stage 4 needs more’ and ‘don’t ignore stage 4’ She was not going to go down without a fight! She was not only going to speak for herself but was also doing it for others. She wanted people to recognize the metastatic colors: pink, teal and green. Additionally, she advocated and raised awareness for self-care and strived to raise funds for research for stage 4. She was fighting so hard in hopes to make metastatic breast cancer a chronic Illness and not a terminal illness. Her strong and courageous attitude inspired others. Her presence alone would light up a room. Her infectious smile and vibrant attitude would always lift people up, even on their darkest days. She was, and still is a true warrior. ‘The Storm.’
Adina had gone through 8 failed treatments in little over 2 and half years since the stage 4 diagnosis. She endured extreme side effects from the chemo along with the numerous lesions that were in her liver that soon spread to her spine. There was a message that she had said to her husband shortly before she passed, she said to him that make sure people know that I did not lose this battle to cancer, I beat it. It was a losing battle to begin with.
When her diagnosis switched from stage 2 to stage 4, she got stronger and was more vocal about raising awareness and still continued to work and manage normal life tasks. She would attend metastatic breast cancer walks, she would also speak at almost every event she attended, explaining her story and trying to raise funds for research for stage 4 metastatic breast cancer patients. She wanted her voice to be heard.
Adina had owned her own wedding planning business since 2014. Her company was named ‘A Perfect Day Wedding Planning and Coordination.’ She would give all her effort, even on her toughest days, to make sure her brides had their ‘perfect’ day. There were times where she had an invasive chemo treatment and she would then work a long 17-hour day on her feet, 3 days post-chemo treatment. She would always put other people’s needs before hers. She was and continues to be a true inspiration. She had worked her last wedding in late October of 2022, and she indeed upheld the name of her business ‘A Perfect Day Wedding Planning & Coordination.’ The network she made in the wedding industry was like no other. The numerous vendors she met and created relationships with has impacted their businesses.
The most rewarding and remarkable tribute is that a lot of vendors came together and granted the wish she wanted for after she passed: ‘A celebration of life’.’ A memorable day and it was definitely planned with ‘Adina style’ It couldn’t have been pulled off without the help of her friends, family and all the vendors she met over the years in the wedding industry.
She is also a true New York Ranger fan. When she was a little girl, she would always sneak down into her basement and watch games with her dad. However, the house was divided with her husband and the kids, as they are all New York Islander fans. This made the hockey games in the house very interesting to say the least. The sport of hockey would always make her smile, especially when she would watch her older son play goalie for high level Long Island team. In the month of October, her son’s entire hockey organization (all ages) wears game jerseys that have the metastatic ribbon on it, along with her initials. It is a true honor and confirmation that her message was heard loud and clear and that her legacy will continue with the help from family and friends. Her devotion to hockey was like no other, she would always find the strength to watch her older son play. She would get on the road shortly after chemo treatments to make the games. She would also make our youngest son’s baseball and soccer games. Sometimes there was nowhere to sit during those games but that didn’t stop her from going. She was always there for her two boys.
The legacy that she left behind is truly remarkable. The impact she had on the local community, hockey community, hospital and doctor staff, or just about anyone she had come into contact with was unmeasurable. They all can say that they were lucky to have met her. The world was such a better place with her around. She saw the good in everyone and always just wanted to lend a hand to everyone she met, no matter what. Her legacy will continue, her family and friends will carry her torch, light it up for her, and set forth her values. We will forever remember her name, ‘Adina Marie Perullo, aka The Storm.’
