Renee Magagnoli was in critical condition for three days following the mercury spill
Melha Shriner Peter Magagnoli, left, talks abouit the chemical accident at his family's home with Norman Peloquin, president of the Melha Director's Staff. Peloquin helped organize the fund-raiser for Magagnoli at the Melha Shrine Center.
SPRINGFIELD – The Melha Shriners, renowned for their efforts to provide for the special medical needs of children, directed their charitable spirit to one of their own members on Saturday night whose family faced financial losses and illness following an accidental mercury spill in their home.
The Shriners hosted a fund-raising social and dinner at the Melha Shrine Center on Longhill Street to benefit family members of Shriner Peter P. Magagnoli, of Agawam, who were forced out of their home four weeks ago by the mercury spill. They have been living in a motor home in their driveway ever since, which was loaned by another local Shriner, Norman Peloquin, of Chicopee, and his wife, Patricia, who also helped organize Saturday’s benefit.
One of Magagnoli’s daughters, Renee, 42, came in direct contact with the mercury, accidentially spilled from a small vial, and was in critical condition with mercury poisoning at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester for three days beginning Oct. 10, but is recovering well now, Magagnoli said. He had kept the mercury in an aspirin bottle since it was handed to him as a junior high school student decades ago.
Magagnoli, 67, said he is “overwhelmed” by the generosity of the Shriners.
“This is amazing,” Magagnoli said, while greeting more than 200 attendees. “It’s unexpected and certainly appreciated by the entire family. I was born with two older sisters. I now have 300,000 brothers.”
The family incurred expenses of well over $20,000 not covered by homeowners’ insurance in lost furniture, carpeting, clothing, and other expenses to clean their home, Magagnoli said. It is unknown when the family can return to the house.
“We thought we could help out by running this benefit for the family,” Peloquin said. “He’s a fellow brother, and everybody is stepping up to help a fellow brother.”
The benefit included raffles and a comedienne, along with the dinner and socializing.
Magagnoli is chairman of the membership for the Melha Shriners of Springfield and vice president of the director’s staff.
Another Shriner, Raymond Turrini, of West Springfield, said the group was going to have the event “regardless if Pete wanted it or not.”
“As a fellow noble, it is what we are supposed to do, help our fraternal brother in time of need.”
Magagnoli and his wife, Donna, and his other daughter, Robin, lived in the home with Renee and all had mercury in their blood system, but were not hospitalized, he said. Renee had tried to clean up and vacuum the spilled mercury, and probably took in the vapors, he said.