STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — O’Neill’s Angels, a Westerleigh-based nonprofit organization, is carrying forward the legacies of three late family members whose lives were dedicated to helping others.
On Saturday, the charity made up of family and friends gathered at LiGreci’s Staaten in West Brighton for its kickstarter fundraiser. Organizers had been planning the event for many months, but their mission to connect with the community, build lasting memories with their relatives and help those around them started much earlier.
Years prior to the ballroom celebration, the family had come together for more somber causes — they had attended the funerals of three of their members.
“Our three angels were a really integral part of our family,” said Erin O’Hanlon, one of the founders and board members of O’Neill’s Angels. “They were the people who lifted us up. They pointed us in the right direction. They led the way. They helped us be good and they helped us work hard.”
Kathleen Mulholland, her mother, dedicated her professional life to nursing and public health, said O’Hanlon. She fought a 20-month battle with Stage 4 ovarian cancer before her death in 2016.
Dr. Patricia O’Neill, Mulholland’s sister, was a surgeon. She served as a co-chief at Kings County Hospital and later as medical director of trauma and vice chair of surgery at Brookdale Hospital, both Brooklyn. Tragically, O’Neill and her husband, Dr. Peter Smith, lost their lives in a car crash caused in February 2023.
Smith held leadership positions at Long Island College Hospital as chief of pulmonary medicine. According to O’Hanlon, he also advocated for social justice and healthcare equity through his involvement with Physicians for a National Health Plan.
These tragic losses motivated Erin O’Hanlon, her husband Michael O’Hanlon and her children Riley O’Hanlon, Keira O’Hanlon and Jack O’Hanlon, to give back to the community, just as their angels did.
Months later, after hours of planning, meetings with friends who had dabbled in nonprofits before and gathering ideas, O’Neill’s Angels was born.
Its first event was in December 2024, where it collected over 200 toys for children at Brookdale Hospital.
“We had such an overwhelming response and support. We got to spend the day at Brookdale with a lot of Aunt Patricia’s colleagues and patients and it just gave us the feeling that we were hoping for,” said Erin O’Hanlon during her welcome speech. “When we got home, we were like, ‘Okay, we want to do this. We want to continue.’”
Since then, the fledgling group has held anti-vaping awareness seminars, nursing home visits, and school supplies drives. They also built a board, made up of Erin O’Hanlon, Gerard Mulholland and John Buckley.
Riley, Erin O’Hanlon’s daughter who was a sophomore in high school at the time, had been searching for more volunteering opportunities on the North Shore of Staten Island, but hadn’t found anything she connected with. She, along with her younger siblings, took initiative within the group, pitching new ideas and researching healthcare issues.
This is why one of O’Neill’s Angels main goals is to engage kids and young adults in community service. Alongside its board, most of the team is made up of friends from school and sports teams, ranging from children in elementary school to high school seniors.
Their kickstarter fundraiser is to ensure they can always explore new avenues to help their community. Their future goals include continuing educating the community on healthcare, such as how to care for asthmatic children, starting a healthcare scholarship, and partnering with Project Hospitality to donate meals and necessities.
Along with raising money, this event, which featured raffles, a DJ and a buffet, was also crucial to honoring those who have made a difference in healthcare. The Kathleen Mulholland Angel Award was awarded to Gail Adman, the current assistant commissioner Office of School Health, in honor of her leadership and dedication to public health. The Dr. Patricia O’Neill Angel Award was presented to Dr. Ramy Abdel-Naby, the medical director of Brookdale Hospital’s Division of Trauma Surgery & ICU in recognition of his leadership and dedication to the medical center.
Lastly the Dr. Peter Smith Angel Award was awarded to Ann Schneider, Shannon Gulbin, Laura Schneider and Lisa Grande in celebration of their family’s dedication to healthcare.
Although the organization is fairly new, Erin O’Hanlon is already looking toward a future where the children and young adults her family has inspired will be the leaders of O’Neill’s Angels.