Faces of Long Island celebrates the uniqueness of everyday Long Islanders. In their own words, they tell us about their life experiences, challenges and triumphs. Newsday launched this social media journey into the human experience to shine a light on the diverse people of this wonderful place we call home.

‘I have moments that are really challenging, but most of the time I’m like, “All right, today’s another day. Today is a new beginning. Today I’m alive and I’m just thankful.”’

Long Beach

“As a child, I had a lot of allergies and asthma. I didn’t know what going to the chiropractor really did, but I knew if I went, I was able to play outside. My dad was sick, and he started going to the chiropractor and he lived an extra two years. I saw a glimpse of what chiropractic could do for somebody and decided to become a chiropractor. I opened my practice in Bellmore in 2006.

“I believe that everybody’s chosen to do something in life, whatever is close to your heart. I love what I do, helping people and helping families. But I also realize that I have to take care of myself. When my wife and I lost a baby last year at 31½ weeks, it triggered an autoimmune response, and that’s what attacked my kidneys. In February, I went to the hospital, and they said that I would have died in two days from renal failure if I didn’t get there. I said, ‘This is your will, God, not my will,’ and I just surrendered. There are days and I have moments that are really challenging, but most of the time I’m like, all right, today’s another day. Today is a new beginning. Today I’m alive and I’m just thankful. My wife and I, our faith is very strong. It’s lifted me up when I felt like there was no hope.

Sometimes, when you’re in the storm, you can’t see the ‘why,’ or you may never know the ‘why.’

“I had been turned off by religion because my dad was sick and everybody said to pray for him, and he died anyway a week after my bar mitzvah. Then my sister, when she was 21 years old, was killed in a drunk driving wreck. She was in the back middle seat, and everyone else walked away from that same car wreck. Now, though, going through what I’ve been going through, without my faith in God, I wouldn’t be here.

“When I put out my letter on social media sharing everything, 55 people wanted to get evaluated for a kidney transplant. It’s amazing to see the love and support, even with the GoFundMe page that we have.

“Sometimes, when you’re in the storm, you can’t see the ‘why,’ or you may never know the ‘why.’ You’re getting up at 4:30 in the morning for dialysis three days a week, and it’s four hours a pop. But I don’t want to wait for the perfect situation. I want to live life fully now, even more so. I’m not going through this situation; I’m growing through it.”

Interviewed by Joe Rizza

‘I pray everybody respects wildlife, because if they value it, they’ll protect it.’

Jamesport

“When I was 3, my father and I found a turtle with a missing leg in a park near my grandmother’s house. I was horrified, and it broke my heart because I couldn’t understand how it was surviving without getting any help. As the years went by, animals always touched my soul. I feel very connected being an empath by nature. I majored in marine biology in college but didn’t take that path right away. Instead, I opened my own real estate brokerage.

With increased overpopulation and pollution, turtles are the No. 1 organism that is the most endangered on the planet.

“As I got older, I felt I wanted to pursue my passion and make a difference. In 2009, I volunteered at a rescue center in Hampton Bays. I soon saw that the turtles needed complex care other than what the waterfowl and mammals needed. Turtles heal slowly. I always dreamed of having my own facility where I can take the turtles and give them expert care. I then founded the nonprofit organization Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons in May 2012, and I’m the executive director. We average about 200 patients per year, and 95 percent of those are released and 5 percent either pass away or stay in our sanctuary for the rest of their lives because they’re non releasable, meaning they can’t naturally protect themselves in the wild. We’re here seven days a week all year long.

“We’re very happy to give them our best because I feel turtles are the underdogs of the wildlife world. When the machines come to work on Long Island for construction, turtles can’t get out of the way like most wildlife can. With increased overpopulation and pollution, turtles are the No. 1 organism that is the most endangered on the planet. We also have an assurance colony in East Hampton with males and females, and we release the babies into the wild to increase the population. I also have a 24-hour hotline to help turtles in trouble all over the United States. For me, the turtle release, when I bring them back to their home, is the most important part. It’s so emotional to see them come to our hospital in critical condition and after rehab to release them after all they went through. I pray everybody respects wildlife, because if they value it, they’ll protect it. That’s what I hope that I could leave as a legacy.”

Interviewed by Liza Burby

‘I remember sitting there thinking that I must not be worth anything.’

Copiague

“I’m the youngest of eight. My biological parents were not able to provide properly for us. That’s not a condemnation, just the reality of the situation. At the age of 3, I was placed in my first foster home, a cruel, abusive and traumatic experience. Thank goodness for the profession of social work. They picked up on something, and they rescued me and placed me in my second foster home in Amityville while I was still 3.

“The day I left, the lady I was placed with got me dressed, took me downstairs, sat me on the steps, went back inside and slammed the door. I remember sitting there thinking that I must not be worth anything. And my next thought was that this was a cold, cruel world. I told myself, don’t ever count on anybody or ask for help. I reasoned that the same way I had been left sitting out there is the way it would always be. Then a car pulled up, a social worker got out, took me by the hand and opened the back door. And there was this beautiful woman who was my saving grace. On the other side of her was the youngest of my older brothers. He and I were reunited and grew up together in that loving home.

“Those are some of the details of the powerful impact social work had on my life. Social workers supported my brother and me as we grew up. We were able to go to summer camp every year. When I showed an interest in playing the drums, they provided me with all the materials I needed. It made it possible for us to join the Boy Scouts.

“Another defining moment was when I was 16. I got into trouble, and my social worker showed up in court along with my foster parents and minister. I remember the judge saying he would sentence me to probation instead of sending me to reform school because I had such a strong support system. That was another positive impact that social work had. I learned that the purpose and mission of social work is to empower others. Those are all examples of the ways I experienced the profession. As I got older, I started to understand that you hear so many negative stories about social workers and the profession. But my story is the antidote. I always stand up and say, but that wasn’t my experience.”

I’d like to pay homage to my biological parents who gave me life, my foster parents who made my life, and thank God for the profession of social work because it saved my life.

“I went to Suffolk Community College to earn my associate degree in broadcasting. I just wanted to be DJ. While there, I got an opportunity to do an independent study and did a documentary on foster care as a tribute to my late foster mother. I decided to tell stories of those who helped others thrive like my foster mother did for me. So I went to Brooklyn College for broadcast journalism. While studying there, I started a public affairs program called ‘Viewpoints.’ It grew in popularity, and that’s how I honed my skills. I became the first African American student to be president and general manager of the college radio station.

“While at college and afterward, I worked in mental health helping clients with various mental health diagnoses. Years later, I also started producing public affairs programming for radio station Z-100. In 2009, my wife suggested I get my master’s in social work. When I asked her why, she said, ‘You volunteer with youth, you work in human services, and you’re a product of the system.’ I enrolled in Adelphi, going from 2010 to 2014. During that time and afterward, I continued to work in the mental health field. I was also teaching in a career training school, helping students to succeed.

“I currently work with the homeless veteran population as a HUD-VASH [HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing] social worker. I decided to combine my two professions, which are also my passions. I formed Kelsunn Communications and created the ‘Kelsunn-on-the-Air’ social work podcast, which promotes, highlights and uplifts the social work profession and educates the general public to the vital contributions professional social workers make. The pinnacle of this journey was on June 24 in Washington, D.C. I was honored with National Association of Social Workers Foundation 2022 International Rhoda G. Sarnat Award, given to an individual, group or organization that has significantly advanced the public image of professional social work. I wrapped up my acceptance speech saying, ‘I’d like to pay homage to my biological parents who gave me life, my foster parents who made my life, and thank God for the profession of social work because it saved my life.’”

Interviewed by Liza Burby

‘I’m a historian first, a ghost investigator second, and what better way to teach local history than through a ghost story?’

Huntington

“I worked as a photographer for local Huntington papers. I became fascinated with the history of the town and started to write my own column on the subject. I was the first vice president of the Huntington Historical Society and won awards for my work as a historian.

“In 1995 and 1997, I published two books on Huntington’s history. Many old locations have ghost stories attached to them. In 2005, I met Joe Giaquinto who is a medium/paranormal investigator; collaborating with him led to the first book in my ‘Ghosts of Long Island’ series. Joe and I have now been working together for 17 years and have investigated over 100 presumably haunted places.

“At the Country House restaurant in Stony Brook, we encountered the ghost of Annette Williamson; she was murdered there during the Revolutionary War. We have seen lights flicker, photographed orbs, and heard voices via electronic voice phenomenon.

“At Lloyd’s Antiques in Eastport, a spirit threw my flash unit across a table. At the Maritime Museum in Sayville, we encountered a ghost named Ed who likes to knock over trophies. At the Ketcham Inn in Center Moriches, I photographed the apparition of a young girl who had died there in a fire in the 1800s.

“My favorite spirit is William Sidney Mount, who was a painter, inventor, writer and spiritualist who lived between 1807 and 1868. We talk to him frequently, and he’s got a sense of humor.

“Almost all of our paranormal experiences are positive. The only scary experience I ever had was at the Potter’s Field in Yaphank, where Joe abruptly told me that we had to leave because he didn’t like the energy there. Most spirits are very friendly. In death, they are just like they were in life. We treat ghosts like what they are, people.

“If you think of them as someone’s family member, it takes the creepiness out of it. Long Island is a place with a very rich history, and it is wonderful to explore the past via communication with the other side.”

Interviewed by Meagan Meehan

‘People think I’m nuts, but after the Super Bowl, I’ll start thinking about what I’m doing for Halloween.’

Massapequa

“This started because we used to decorate and dress up for Halloween at a campground for a competition. One woman said, ‘You’re not going to win.’ I went up there and I didn’t win, and I was so annoyed.

“So I found talking skeletons online, and we went back up there and dressed up as a dead wedding party. My whole family and my kids went there from 6 years old and up.

I do this to raise money for cancer.

“We kept going back and winning every year. I first made a few skeletons when we saw ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean’ movie. The captain was first, and I had no ships yet. Then I kept adding stuff.

“People think I’m nuts, but after Super Bowl, I’ll start thinking about what I’m doing for Halloween. It’s all computerized. There’s two computers downstairs doing it. It’s insane. Each one of their heads has four RC Servos [robotic devices], which makes them move. I built my own mounts to make their heads nod and tilt and the jaw move. I sit there with a joystick and program each song. That’s in March, April and May. One song took me 40 hours. You get bonkers listening to the same song over and over again.

“The front of the ship I’ve had for 18 years. Four years ago, we made the back of the ship. We bought some PVC pipe and just started building. Everything is hand built. We start setting up the last week in August and finish in October.

“The skeletons are all my family, but my favorites are probably the two in the jail cell – Boris and Wilfred. Those are my first corpse skeleton that I made. Wilfred is very crude and shaky, but he works. I built the jail cell after them, and then I built a wall to hide my house.

“This is all for the tiny kids. One little girl has been coming here for 5 or 6 years. She sends pictures, even gave me a little bracelet. When you have 600 people in front of your house, it’s a lot of fun. We all dress up – I’m Captain Jack.

“I do this to raise money for prostate cancer. This year, I’ll probably split it between prostate cancer and breast cancer. I have prostate cancer, and now my ex-wife came down with breast cancer. When I lived in Wantagh, we raised over 10 grand. Here in Massapequa, we’ve raised around six grand so far. We have a collection box for donations.”

Interviewed by Tracey Cheek

‘I’ve always loved the idea of sharing what I have to offer with an audience.’

Bay Shore

“I started playing the djembe, an African drum, when I was 2 years old. My mom took me into a drum store in New York City, and it was the first instrument that I saw. Prior to that, I was always drumming on the furniture because I’ve always had a tempo in my head. The drums just felt right to me because I admire all of the different ways that you can play them.

I’m really inspired by jazz drummers who are often overlooked but are among the most talented in the music industry.

“When I found the djembe that day, I started jamming on it, and I disrupted a music class that the store owner was teaching in another room. He heard me, walked over to my mother and told her that she had to buy me the djembe — and that’s just what she did! Since then, I’ve developed my skills.

“I am the first middle school student to ever win an Islip Arts Council Teeny Award for percussion. I really admire drummers like Neil Peart, who played in the progressive rock band Rush, and John Bonham, who was the drummer for Led Zeppelin.

“I’m also really inspired by jazz drummers who are often overlooked but are among the most talented in the music industry. I’m also fascinated by Broadway percussionists, and I’ve even taken lessons from the percussionist for the Broadway show ‘Six.’ They have to be so exact so they don’t derail an entire number during a live theatrical performance!

“I’ve also had the opportunity to participate in the orchestra pit at my school’s theater productions, and I play in a band called Alan Blvd. When I’m older, I would be interested in teaching.

“In July, I was an assistant teacher to third- and fourth-graders at Bay Shore’s summer music program with the Bay Shore music teachers, and it was a really enjoyable experience. Yet what I really enjoy doing is just jamming out because that’s how I create my best and most original grooves. I’ve always loved the idea of sharing what I have to offer with an audience.”

Interviewed by Meagan Meehan

‘You have to be your own advocate, especially when you’re young, because doctors brush things off.’

Queens Village

“I went to the doctor more than a decade ago because I noticed a little raised bump on my head. I wondered if I should be concerned about it because my grandmother had skin cancer. I was in my late 20s, so they brushed it off. After that, whenever I went to the doctor, I always pointed it out because it didn’t seem normal. Nobody was ever worried. In November, I showed it to a new doctor who said, ‘I’m not concerned, but if you don’t like it, I’ll remove it.’ It had gone from clear to looking like a darker freckle. He said, ‘I’ll biopsy it, but don’t even think twice about it.’

“It was basal cell carcinoma.

Things can always be worse, and I needed to look at the more positive side of things. It gave me a different perspective.

“I met with a surgeon who would do a Mohs surgery two weeks later. They take a slice from the area, look under a microscope and make sure all the margins are clean. They got it all in the first pass, but that night, my head and eyes swelled. Even down to my fingertips hurt. The surgery was way more invasive than they made it seem. I have had surgeries before. I have had kids! This was horrible. My face is everything. You don’t realize how much you use your forehead. I have one of those faces that’s very expressive, and being a middle school teacher and a mother, I don’t stop making faces. Everything hurt when I’d smile, raise my voice or laugh. I had to wear a massive bandage on my head for a few weeks. My students were much more respectful and compassionate than a lot of adults.

“People would ask stupid questions, like about if I’d walked into a wall. I told the kids, doctors had to take off my unicorn horn. It’s weird because people think it’s not real cancer! They took a chunk out of my forehead; it is real cancer. It makes you more cognizant of the way you question people when you notice something different about them. You have to be your own advocate, especially when you’re young, because doctors brush things off. I went over a decade being told this was nothing. I have to be really careful in the sun now. I’ve learned not to be self-conscious about things like a bandage. I am grateful that I found it in time and took care of it. Things can always be worse, and I needed to look at the more positive side of things. It gave me a different perspective.”

Interviewed by Iris Wiener

‘I’m awe-inspired by what the world has to offer, and I’m influenced by emotions, nature and the experience of being alive.’

Bay Shore

“I have always found my footing in the arts, and I love the idea of merging the arts across all categories. I like to say that I’m equal parts a poet, a writer, an actor and a musician.

“I wrote my first poem at the age of four and it was published in The Louisville Review. I’ve since had poems published in Cagibi, Stone Soup, Skipping Stones and Balloons Literary Journal. I was recently named one of three finalists for the inaugural position of Suffolk County teen poet laureate. I’m particularly drawn to the free verse style because it enables me to be as creative as I want.

“My love of poetry translated into my love of rap because it’s a form of music that focuses so intensely on the lyrics, the words. I’m currently working on my third album and blending rap with other music styles. I’m awe-inspired by what the world has to offer, and I’m influenced by emotions, nature and the experience of being alive.

Both big gestures and small gestures matter. Changing the world is about bettering the world.

“I’m also an active actor. I was on ‘The Ellen Show’ a few times when I was 6, but I was so young that I didn’t understand what a big deal that was! I knew l was being interviewed by a nice blond lady, but I didn’t comprehend how much power was behind that name!

“When I was 12, I was part of the ensemble cast of Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night,’ which was performed at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

“The show was produced by the Public Theater, and it won a Chita Rivera Award for outstanding ensemble! Being a part of that cast was one of my favorite experiences! I met actor Shuler Hensley, who was so down to earth and nice. He’s a Tony winner.

“Every night, before he went on stage, he would pat me on the back and said, ‘How’s it going, Bud?’ It was just such a beautiful and accepting environment overall. Since then, I’ve been in a series of high school productions, including ‘Hairspray’ and ‘A Chorus Line.’

“I definitely want to keep acting. My dream role would be to play Alexander Hamilton or the Emcee from ‘Cabaret’! I’m also working on my first novel right now. It’s a coming-of-age story titled ‘Between Intelligence and Wisdom.’

“Ultimately, I want to change the world, whether that means becoming a big star or simply giving a good friend sound advice. Both big gestures and small gestures matter. Changing the world is about bettering the world.”

Interviewed by Meagan Meehan

‘Goats are just like dogs; they’re funny and they’re playful.’

Commack

“I started doing yoga when I was married with two small children. My sister-in-law inspired me to take classes at the Huntington YMCA. I loved it so much! Then, my son got diagnosed with a brain tumor. He died nine months later; he was only 5 years old. In the aftermath, I separated from my husband, but I still had a daughter who I had to take care of. During that terrible time, yoga saved my life.

“Everyone in the yoga community was so supportive. One of my instructors told me I should become a teacher, and that was all the encouragement I needed. I have now been teaching yoga — including chair yoga — in gyms, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospitals for 25 years. I also enjoy the arts. I make glass flowers and bird feeders, and I sell my creations at craft fairs. It was at a fair that I met a lady named Donna who works at the North Shore Animal Center in Northport on a beautiful farm. I have always loved animals because they are so healing — you can’t be in a bad mood if you have a cat lying on your lap — so Donna and I started brainstorming about ways that we could combine animals and yoga.

We hope that people will enjoy the exercise, the animals and the farm. It’s a fun, healthy and meditative experience.

“On Easter Sunday 2018, we decided on goats. We embarked on a road trip to Florida, where I enjoyed my first goat yoga class! We purchased our first goats in Florida and drove back up to New York with them. Donna and I have since become good friends, and our herd of goats has grown from six to 14. We hold one-hour classes every Thursday afternoon, weather permitting. We also host birthday parties and bachelorette parties and occasionally run classes at street fairs. The goats are a riot; they all have their own names and personalities and instinctively know not to jump on anyone who is too small. Having a goat stand on your back is like getting a deep-tissue massage.

“Goats are just like dogs; they’re funny and playful. In October, we’ll even be dressing them up for Halloween in costumes that are handmade by Donna’s mother! They look really cute, but we have to be careful with the fabric because goats will eat anything! We hope that people will enjoy the exercise, the animals and the farm. It’s a fun, healthy and meditative experience.”

Interviewed by Meagan Meehan

‘Terrible things happen, and it brings people closer. In our case, it brought my brother and I home.’

Erica Zigon, Babylon Village

“My mom had a stroke when I was 8 years old, and my brothers and I had to grow up fast. My grandma went out of her way to be like, ‘I’m going to take you guys in. You guys are going to live with me.’ She became my role model and my best friend. I remember being in high school, and I wouldn’t even want to go out because I’d want to sit at home and drink tea and watch ‘Jeopardy!’ with my grandma.

“Growing up on Long Island and being a part of the queer community was difficult. I worked hard to find my identity at a young age because when you’re on Long Island in a small town, it can be scary to be yourself.

I think the stars aligned for many reasons, and we had to go through a lot, but me and my brother are passionate about music, and we love performing for people.

“I didn’t come out until college, but now looking back, I feel like I could have come out to my grandma. She was so accepting and loving. She taught me to take care of the people around you and do right by everyone.

“When my mom and grandma passed away, I was in college and my brother was preforming music for a living in L.A. We decided to come back to Babylon in hopes of holding our family together. We always loved music, but that’s when we started writing music as a group.

“It turned into us becoming a duo and performing all over Long Island. I think the stars aligned for many reasons, and we had to go through a lot, but me and my brother are passionate about music, and we love performing for people. Terrible things happen, and it brings people closer. In our case, it brought my brother and I home.

“After late night shows, we love to go to the diner, either the Lindenhurst Diner or the Forum Diner … We get matzoh ball soup and just talk about the night and how the show went. I love when diners still have those little jukeboxes in the booths. It’s a plus when we get to sit there and play old records, you know?”

Interviewed by Maggie Melito