Jimmy Curcuru, 71, and his wife Marilyn, 72, have lived in the same house in Gloucester, Massachusetts, for more than five decades. They raised their three children there. But one day in July, someone left an unsigned note in their mailbox that said “Paint me!” and called their home a “monstrosity”.
What that person didn’t know is that Jimmy survived a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery in 2006, later developed kidney problems, and that Marilyn has lived with multiple sclerosis for decades and remains bedridden. Their daughter Michelle posted the note on Facebook with a response that went viral: “I also drive past houses like that and wonder what might be going on in those people’s lives”.
By the next day, neighbors were already offering to paint the house. Gloucester’s mayor stopped by to ask how to help. And a GoFundMe campaign raised nearly $43,000 from more than 650 people around the world, enough for the roof, the windows, and the much-needed paint.
