Spark Fund has provided $200 of match funding
Anyone Can Be Ali's Hero
New York, United States
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Part of the New York Founding 50
Aim
Every child has a story. Help HHFDNY bring joy, hope, and support to children and families like Ali’s. You can be someone's hero.
Anyone can be Someone’s Hero. Be Ali’s.
For more than 10 years, The Humble Heroes of FDNY has been bringing hope, laughter, and unforgettable moments to children facing some of life’s toughest challenges.
Founded by an FDNY firefighter, The Humble Heroes of FDNY started as a small group of family and friends that came together in their Halloween costumes and visited a NYC hospital from time to time. Today, we are a community of over 50 dedicated volunteers with Hollywood-grade superhero costumes visiting children in hospitals, cancer centers, special needs schools, grief camps, and children’s programs throughout NY, NJ, and PA two to three times per month.
We don't just walk into a room in costume. We give children a reason to smile. For a few precious moments, children can forget about treatments, diagnoses, loss, and the challenges they face every day, and simply be kids.
But our mission doesn’t stop there.
We believe that being a hero also means making a difference in the lives of children and families in every way we can. That's why we created our annual Heart of Humble Heroes Hundred-Day Challenge, encouraging middle school students to give back to their communities for 100 days. Students discover firsthand how powerful it feels to help others, and those who make an exceptional impact are awarded scholarships from The Humble Heroes of FDNY. We're teaching the next generation that you don't need superpowers to be a hero, you just need to care enough to help.
And now, we’re expanding our impact further.
We are taking the next step in our mission: helping families with children facing extraordinary medical challenges.
Meet Ali.
Alessandra Modica was only 4 years old when a simple case of the flu turned into a fight for her life. On January 6, 2024, Ali suddenly struggled to walk, eat, and breathe. Her condition rapidly deteriorated, her heart began to fail, and she needed lifesaving ECMO treatment that wasn't available at her local hospital. During a snowstorm, Ali was transported more than an hour and a half to C.H.O.P. Her parents were told she had only a 65% chance of surviving the trip. When she arrived, Ali suffered cardiac arrest and was without a heartbeat for 18 minutes.
But Ali fought. Her organs recovered and began functioning normally. Doctors had prepared her family for the possibility of organ transplants and a tracheotomy. Ali defied them all!
She is a miracle and she is still fighting.
The 18 minutes without oxygen caused a hypoxic brain injury that affected Ali's speech and motor abilities. Today at 7 years old, she understands the world around her, recognizes her family, remembers, laughs, and cries. But she cannot yet walk, talk, or eat independently. Through intensive therapies and stem cell treatments, Ali has shown remarkable progress.
Ali has not been fighting this battle alone. During her six-month stay at the hospital, Ali’s two baby brothers lived at a nearby hotel with their grandma, while her parents, Joe and Dalainna, stayed at the hospital with her. Her brother Joey missed three months of pre-school and her newborn brother Carmine missed moments of learning and nurturing from his big sister. Both boys still miss playing, laughing, and dancing with the big sister they knew. Friends and family of the Modicas rallied, helped, visited, and did whatever they could to bring some hope and cheer to Ali and her brothers. But behind all the brave faces was a village of people deeply worried about Ali.
Now, they need our help to keep moving forward.
Our goal is to raise $30,000 (or more!) to help The Humble Heroes of FDNY continue expanding our impact. Crowdfunder will match up to $2,500!
Your support will help us:
1. Help families like Ali's by providing financial assistance toward promising medical treatments, therapies, clinical programs, travel, and other expenses that may not be covered by insurance.
- $10,000 - $20,000: cost of one stem cell treatment (not including flights and lodging for out-of-state treatment)
- $2,800: cost of feeding therapy
- $6,100: half-year cost of intensive therapy
- $450: weekly cost of physical therapy
2. Bring superheroes to children who need them most by continuing our visits to hospitals, cancer centers, special needs schools, grief camps, and other organizations where children are facing difficult battles.
- $500 - $1,000: average cost of a quality superhero costume and accessories
- $500: average cost of toys for kids at a hospital visit
- $800: average cost of toys for kids at a special-needs school visit
3. Inspire the next generation of heroes by expanding our 100-Day Volunteer Challenge and scholarship program, teaching more young people the lifelong value of community service.
- $200: one scholarship prize
- $2,000: cost of a culminating breakfast celebrating all participants of the 100-Day Challenge
4. Expand our reach by helping us bring the Humble Heroes experience to more hospitals, schools, and communities across the country.
- $7,000: average cost of our annual trip to Memphis, TN where we visit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital
- $7,000: average cost of our annual trip to Venice, FL where we volunteer at the Night to Shine Prom and visit Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital
Every dollar helps us create a moment that matters. For one child, it might mean meeting their favorite superhero in a hospital room. For another, it might mean discovering the joy of giving back to their community. And for Ali, it might mean one more treatment, one more therapy, or one more opportunity that could change her future.
That's what being a Humble Hero means. Showing up, giving hope, and giving a child the chance to defy the odds.
Please join us.
Donate what you can. Share Ali's story. Share our mission. Become part of a community that believes Anyone Can Be Someone’s Hero.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 27th October 2026 at 9:50pm CDT