In Memoriam Toni M. Diamond 1958 - 2004

November 19, 2004
From The Packard Center at Johns Hopkins
Rockaway Wave 11/18/2004

Toni M. Diamond, a former Rockaway resident who founded the Muscular Dystrophy Association's most successful fundraiser to benefit ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) research after she was diagnosed with the debilitating neurodegenerative disease in 2000, died at home on November 11. She was 46.

Toni, who was born in Southwick, Massachusetts on August 2, 1958, wanted to travel the world. She became a flight attendant for United Airlines and had a 22-year career during which she met Rockaway resident and co-worker, Warren Schiffer. Their relationship began during a stopover in Japan when Toni and Warren walked together in the countryside and dined at a sushi bar. They were married, and lived in Rockaway for about two years before purchasing a farmhouse colonial in Gaylordsville, Connecticut together.

During another stopover in Japan, in the fall of 2000, Toni lost sensation in her left foot for several hours. The condition returned permanently two months later and the search for a diagnosis began. After numerous doctors visits and testing Toni was diagnosed with ALS by Dr. Hiroshi Mitsumoto, Director of the Eleanor & Lou Gehrig MDA/ALS Center at Columbia University.

"Bluntly speaking, [ALS] has robbed me of my ability to speak and breathe on my own. It is a cruel and vicious disease, which is trying to kill me and destroy emotionally those around me," she would later express. "I have chosen to live, fight, and not allow this disease to define who I am."

As the disease quickly progressed, Toni focused on raising money for research, treatment and awareness. She was in the early stages of planning the Wings of Hope (later renamed MDA's Wings Over Walls Street) fundraiser, in March of 2001, when the disease took her ability to breathe on her own. Faced with death she chose to go on a ventilator and spent the next six months in the hospital. Warren, who was instrumental in developing the fundraiser, remained at her side.

"For the last three years, he's been spending 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year caring for her," Larry Schiffer said earlier this year of his brother's enduring devotion to Toni. "It is the maximum commitment of any human being." Larry and family friend Scott Horak co-chaired the fundraising while Warren cared for Toni.

Toni's immobility forced the couple to sell their multi-level Connecticut home and relocate to her brother Wayne's residence in Cape Cod. The basement was converted to a handicapped accessible apartment.

Despite losing her ability to speak, breath on her own and, with the exception of her eyes, move, Diamond remained "willing to put her body, life and suffering out there for others to see," Larry said. "Toni decided not to let the disease take away who she was, and she decided to fight and bring awareness and money to the researchers."

Wings Over Wall Street has raised more than $4 million.