Domenic Castaldi’s Pursuit of Independence

May 20

By Trish Griswold

Wells River Savings Bank employees hosted a benefit dinner and raffle in honor of their beloved colleague, Domenic Castaldi. “No matter what he has going on, he treats every customer like they are the only thing in the world that matters,” says Branch Manager Patti Clark. “When he is working with a customer, nothing matters except that person and making sure he is taking care of their needs no matter what they are.” - TBWS/Trish Griswold

Bradford, VT - On Saturday, May 16th, Wells River Savings Bank (WRSB) employees and hundreds of people from the surrounding communities gathered together at the Orange East Senior Center in Bradford to support Domenic “Dom” Castaldi, a remarkable young man whose courage, strength, resilience, and work ethic serve as an inspiration to others.

“Domenic is the most incredible person I have ever met. He is such a strong person. Despite his health challenges, he comes to work every single day and never complains,” remarks WRSB Branch Manager Patti Clark. “I have had the privilege of working with Dom for eight years, and I can honestly say that I have never heard him complain about anything. But, aside from his amazing work ethic, he is genuinely the nicest person you could meet. He has such a wonderful relationship with our customers; everyone loves him.”

Born in Concord, NH, and raised in Belmont, Dom was an active child. He enjoyed school and played a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, baseball, and track. From an early age, Domenic was an avid fisherman and a “gearhead,” passionate about trucks, cars, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). At age 11, Dom and his mother, Gretchen (Clough) Moulton, moved back to Gretchen’s hometown of North Haverhill, NH.

During a physical education class at Haverhill Cooperative Middle School (HCMS), Dom’s teacher, Pat Riggie, noticed something peculiar. Despite Dom’s relative strength and athleticism, he was unable to do a push-up. Dom had recently experienced a significant growth spurt, and his body was going through many changes, Gretchen recalls, but Mr. Riggie knew there was something more.

As it turned out, Dom was suffering from scapular winging, a condition in which the scapula (more commonly known as the shoulder blade) sticks out rather than resting flat against the rib cage. Follow-up blood tests were also positive for the enzyme creatine kinase, an indicator of muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder marked by degeneration of the skeletal muscles.

By his sixteenth birthday, Dom had undergone three surgeries, including scapular fusion on both sides. This is a procedure wherein surgeons fuse the scapula directly to the ribs. The nature of the procedure forced Dom to give up physically demanding activities and refocus his energy. As part of the recovery process, Dom was homebound for months. “I saw Dom struggle to be who he wanted to be when he was in middle school,” Pat recalls. “He had a great attitude, and he tried to persevere, but his body was not cooperating.”

Domenic finished middle school and enrolled at Woodsville High School, where he graduated in 2018. Dom also completed the 21st Century Media and Design program as well as a customized architectural design program at Riverbend Career and Technical Center (RBCTC). He had always dreamed of pursuing a career in the automotive industry but accepted that this would be extremely difficult due to physical constraints. That led to an unexpected but life-altering internship at WRSB. In fact, Dom attended Lakes Region Community College while working part-time at WRSB. He earned an associate’s degree in business management and has been employed as a full-time customer service representative ever since. “I’m very grateful for my job,” Dom says. “I love the people [at WRSB], my co-workers, and the customers. Never in a million years did I see myself as a banker, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”

In 2022, ten years after his initial diagnosis, Dom says, the State of New Hampshire revoked important health insurance benefits when he began working full-time. His mobility continued to decline, so he sought genetic testing to pinpoint which subtype of muscular dystrophy he has. Dom presented with all of the symptoms of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD), a slow but progressive form of muscular dystrophy that primarily affects the face, shoulder blades, and upper arms; however, a full sequence of genetic testing did not confirm the diagnosis. Even Dom’s parents participated in genetic testing to help find some answers, but “nothing showed up,” Gretchen says. Despite the medical community’s best efforts to garner a diagnosis, Domenic’s medical condition is officially unknown.

“As a mom, you have dreams for your kids,” Gretchen reflects, “but when you have a child in Domenic’s position, it’s no longer about your dreams. It’s about them not being able to fulfill theirs.” Gretchen’s feelings of helplessness are exacerbated by a system that has, without question, failed Domenic. The only way to solidify an FSHD diagnosis is through genetic testing, but without a formal diagnosis, Dom is ineligible for clinical trials that could offer him access to medications, treatments, and therapies that might help reduce, slow, and/or potentially remediate some of his symptoms.

Additionally, the one or two programs that might be available to him without a formal diagnosis, Dom explains, will not accept his application because he “makes too much money.” The only way Dom can access any state or federally funded support(s) is to stop working full-time, despite the fact that he is fully capable and wants to work full-time. His only option is to go part-time or give up work altogether and apply for disability benefits. This isn’t feasible either, Dom says, because he requires personal care and lift assistance at home. If he goes to work part-time, Gretchen would need to reduce her work hours to care for him, which would have a significant financial impact on the entire family, which includes his 14-year-old sister, Lily.

Dom’s greatest challenge right now, however, is mobility. This past winter, Dom gave up driving due to the cold weather, as his progression of decline has accelerated. “I’ve gone downhill pretty fast over the past year,” Dom shares. “The winter was brutal.” The cold snap in December caused persistent muscle stiffness, which made it nearly impossible for Dom to steer his Dodge Ram pickup truck. Since then, his grandparents have been driving him to work in the mornings, and Gretchen or one of his co-workers has been driving him home.

At some point, Dom concedes, the physical and mental toll of New England’s long, harsh winters will likely force him to relocate to a warmer climate, but he is not ready to make that change yet. Lily will start high school next year, and she has a passion for agriculture - particularly her horses, chickens, and beloved pets. “She needs to get what she deserves too. I wouldn’t want to leave her.”

In an effort to help Domenic maintain his independence, Pat, with assistance from Mary Cataldo, the mother of one of Dom’s longtime friends, created a GoFundMe page in Dom’s honor. “I've known Gretchen for a long time and Dom since he was in middle school… I just wanted to help,” Pat states. “People came to my hour of need when I was diagnosed with brain cancer, so I wanted to pay it forward… I had everything taken away from me for a brief time. I couldn't drive. I couldn't coach. I couldn't teach. I couldn't work out. So, I can connect with how Dom is feeling. He loves his truck. He loves to drive. I also understand that he was reluctant about receiving help. I felt the same way when people donated to my cause. I simply told him that this is a way for people to help. Let them help you.”

While Dom is eternally grateful for the kindness and generosity bestowed upon him, accepting assistance from others is difficult. “This isn’t me crying for help. This is help that was offered to me,” Dom says. “It’s very hard to accept all the help because I’m an independent person. It’s also hard because I want to give back, but I feel like I can’t, and that’s hard.”

The money raised through fundraising efforts will be used to purchase a motorized wheelchair that will increase Dom’s mobility both at home and at work. Funds will also be used to purchase and modify a vehicle so that Domenic can drive himself to and from work. The cost is well over $100,000, as the modifications that he requires include joysticks and voice command technology that is only compatible with newer vehicles. Domenic is already taking driving lessons twice a week to learn how to maneuver the joysticks. He has done extensive research and has a keen eye for engineering. “I have a vision of what can be done,” Dom contends. “Anything is possible.”

Author’s Note: It is not too late to join Team Domenic and the fundraising efforts to support his mobility and independence. His GoFundMe page will remain open until July 1st. WRSB has also established a savings account in Dom’s name. Contributions can be made directly to this account at any of their five locations.

“It’s so heartwarming that people see him for who he truly is, not his disability,” Gretchen says. “We’re not sure how to even begin to say ‘thank you.’”