Community to rally for Hempfield man diagnosed with amyloidosis

Growing up, Emma and Carly Coletta knew their dad would always be there for them.

Eddie Coletta, a 43-year-old Hempfield resident, always makes it a point to put his family first. That’s why he waited for hours at Red Lobster on Mother’s Day knowing that’s the one meal his wife, Rachel, 41, wanted; why his 18-year-old daughter Emma shares his passion for softball; and why 13-year-old Carly loves to have him tag along on school field trips.

“He just loves his family,” said Emma Coletta. “He’d do anything for us.”

Two weeks ago Eddie Coletta was diagnosed with AL amyloidosis, a rare disease impacting the heart, kidneys, liver and nerves. According to the Amyloidosis Foundation, about 4,500 cases are diagnosed in the United States each year. Pittsburgh Mayor Richard S. Caliguiri in 1988 died of the disease, which is caused by a bone marrow disorder and can lead to organ failure.

On Friday, Eddie was told “basically all of his organs are failing or have failed,” Emma Coletta said.

“He started dialysis just to try to pull fluid from his body and relieve some pressure on his heart,” she said. “His sisters all live out of state so he’s been able to see his brother, but my aunts all flew into town, they’re all here now. He decided to get some dialysis done just to give him a few more days to see them.”

‘Little Eddie’

Eddie Coletta is the youngest of five siblings who were all born and raised in Youngwood. He quickly became involved in the community when he first volunteered at the Youngwood Volunteer Fire Department 20 years ago, gaining the nickname “Little Eddie,” fire Chief Lloyd Crago said. Eddie’s brother, Bob Coletta, is assistant fire chief at the department.

“He’s very personable, very nice, would do anything for anybody,” Crago said. “Eddie is just a sweet guy, a good guy, a fun guy to be around. He’d do anything to help anybody out. He loves his sports, he likes Pitt football, he likes helping his girls coaching softball.”

According to Crago, Eddie recently restarted a defunct softball team at the station. Eddie also spent years coaching Emma from the time she was 3 until she was 16, sparking one of her favorite memories with her dad.

“I really wanted a sweatshirt that had my team on the front, my last name and number on the back,” she said. “I asked for that for Christmas and I hadn’t gotten it, I hadn’t gotten it and there was one more present under the tree and my dad said, ‘Oh look, you forgot something Emma.’ And I opened it up and it was the sweatshirt.”

After years of being out in the community, Eddie quickly became a staple. Friends, family, neighbors and other community members have shown their support for the Coletta family since February, when Eddie first started having symptoms.

For months he was in and out of the hospital, receiving diagnoses ranging from a heart attack to leukemia.

“We have doctors who are friends and they’ve been doctors for 35 years and they’ve never seen a case in their lives,” Emma said. “Because it’s rare they didn’t know to look for it.”

Since he was diagnosed, treatments such as chemotherapy have been used to help stop the growth of abnormal cells that produce the protein that forms amyloid. That protein builds up in the organs, interfering with their normal function. Eddie did not respond well to the treatment.

After coming home for two days, he was readmitted to UPMC Shadyside hospital where he remains today.

“He, at this point, has days,” Emma said.

Outpouring of support

In one day, Everyone’s 4 Eddie, a Facebook group started by two family friends, gained 630 members. People use the group to show support while sharing old photos and memories with Eddie, whose family reads them aloud each day so he can take part in reminiscing.

“We wouldn’t be able to do it right now without the support and reading all the things people are saying,” Emma said. “It just shows the type of person he is and the character he has. Friends that are family, that will last a lifetime.”

A Wednesday event is expected to bring together family and friends to witness performances from the Hempfield Area Marching Band, cheerleaders and members of the Youngwood Volunteer Fire Department in honor of Eddie, who graduated from the district in 1995. Eddie and his family will attend the event via Zoom.

Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said the event will begin at 6 p.m. in the student parking lot of Hempfield Area High School.

Crago said members of the fire station will wear their uniforms, something Eddie was always proud of.

“He just has so many friends, everybody loves him who meets him,” Emma Coletta said. “I’ve never met anybody who had anything bad to say about him.”