Friend raising funds for ailing mother

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NAUGATUCK — Three weeks after giving birth to her son, Ashley McIntyre received a deadly diagnosis.

The 25-year-old Naugatuck native was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Liposarcoma, a cancerous tumor in her chest, at the end of March 2014.

“She was going for treatment. She had chemo, radiation, and two surgeries,” McIntyre’s friend Alicia DiDominzio said.

Despite the treatments, the cancer is now terminal.

“The cancer has spread to her head, liver, and kidneys. It’s now at point where they can’t do anything else,” DiDominzio said.

DiDominzio has started a GoFundMe page in hopes of raising at least $5,000 to help offset the cost of McIntyre’s medical bills and funeral.

McIntyre was born and raised in Naugatuck and graduated from Naugatuck High School in 2008.

“As a young girl she was always joking around and always smiling,” said Gale McIntyre, Ashley’s mother.

Gale McIntyre said, as a child, her daughter loved traveling to Vermont and riding horses. She always hoped to own one of her own one day.

After graduating high school McIntyre worked at Macy’s and then at Wal-Mart in Naugatuck. It was while working at Wal-Mart that McIntyre met Michael Makowski, who would become her fiancé and the father of her son.

Ashley McIntyre hasn’t been able to return to work due to her illness, DiDominzio said. She added Ashley McIntyre did not take out any life insurance because she was young. This has left McIntyre in a difficult financial situation, DiDominzio said.

Makowski, a Naugatuck native who also works at Wal-Mart, has had to take a lot of time off to bring her to and from doctor appointments, she said.

McIntyre’s family is struggling to pay for the medical bills and the costs associated with the funeral, DiDominzio said. Those who want to help the family can donate at www.gofundme.com/AshleyMcIntyre.

DiDominzio said, despite her illness, Ashley McIntyre has been a great mother to her son, Oliver Michael Makowski.

“She’s a wonderful mom. She loves her baby so much,” DiDominzio said.

Gale McIntyre said she wants her daughter to be remembered for the wonderful person she is.

“She was smart, beautiful, and loved Oliver with all of her heart. And always sang to Oliver, ‘You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray.’ And unfortunately she had a lot of gray skies this past year,” Gale McIntyre said.