Adelina "Addy" Rosso

Adelina Marie Rosso (“Addy”), a dynamic Upper West Side resident of NYC and proud freshman college student of The New School at Parsons and Eugene Lang, passed away suddenly from complications of a respiratory virus on the morning of Friday, January 10, 2025. Addy was 18 years old and at home in her mother’s arms at the time of her death.

Addy was born on August 24, 2006, following a medically complex pregnancy and immediately defied the more dire predictions of her surmised condition. This set the tone of all of Addy’s future medical interventions, as she triumphed over dozens of serious health moments with frequent stays in the pediatric ICU during the first 10 years of her life always overcoming the odds. While the family waited three years for her eventual diagnosis of Central Core Disease, a rare form of muscular dystrophy, Addy was blossoming into an incredible, brilliant, loving, and resilient person. Her diagnosis never defined her, not even for a day.

Despite her profound physical disability, which significantly limited her mobility, Addy soared with her intellect, her creativity, her social skills and her confidence. Addy lived a life unlimited, with the loving and dedicated support from her family and the care team that surrounded her and gave years of their lives to scaffold hers: Elsa, Daniele, Sara, Idalis, Barbie, Cristina, and Jenny.

Addy attended Claremont Preschool and the Manhattan School for Children, making forever friends, participating in school and community acitivities and impressing educators along the way. She joyfully attended the MDA’s annual summer camp program, and appeared in several telethons, including one year where Tony Orlando sang personally to her, live on television. In 2015 Addy was named MDA’s Goodwill Ambassador of the year and one of her art pieces “Colors by Addy” is on permanent display in Greece as part of their International Heartsongs project. Addy’s high school years aligned with the pandemic, and she joined Beacon High School home instruction program, where she flourished under dedicated teachers she never met in person until graduation day.

Addy had just completed her first semester at college and was excelling in a selective dual degree program at The New School’s Parsons School of Design and Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts. She was working towards a BFA in Graphic Design and a BA in Creative Writing/Journalism which would have laid a foundation for her life goal: to become part of the community in Provincetown, Cape Cod where she would write her books, overlooking the ocean, and sell her art and beaded jewelry from a shack on the pier.

Addy was a writer, an artist, a social butterfly, a curious learner, a creator, a fashionista and resolutely pursued the adventures of life, be they big or small. Above all, she was a great friend. Addy created community wherever she was present and had amassed a large group of close and loving friends around the world, including within her beloved online community consisting of gamers, artists and cosplayers. She will be missed by all, and anyone who even briefly interacted with Addy was transformed by knowing her. Addy will be remembered for her wit, her kindness, her loyalty and her determination.

Addy believed that people are inherently good, and she gave her trust and compassion freely making friends out of strangers instantly. She abhorred injustice in all forms and loved the beauty of nature in all of its seasons. Addy created immediate and intimate bonds with every animal she encountered, often visiting the dog runs on the Upper West Side as if she was Snow White, with dogs of all shapes and sizes immediately drawn to her. Her own loyal Maltipoo, Tigger, was devoted to her from the first second they met and remained her loyal companion always.

Addy’s family wishes everyone could share the gifts that Addy gave the world each day: To always remember to choose joy, friendship and community above all else. To be present in every moment and give generously of yourself to everyone you meet. To support and guide one another through the difficult times and to celebrate each other’s moments of happiness, big or small. To never give up and never lose hope. To be grateful for love in all forms and to live life unlimited.

Addy’s celebration of life will be colorful and joyful as she always was. Open house gathering will be held on Friday Jan 24th (3pm-8pm) with her final service on Saturday morning (11am) January 25th, both held at the Frank E Campbell funeral home in NYC and both/either open to all with Saturday’s service also available virtually through live stream via memorialstream.online/adelina-rosso

Should you decide to visit either day, the family requests that you wear something bright or colorful. That’s what Addy would have wanted!

Donations to honor Addy can be made to The MDA, The Trevor Project or The Peace of Heart Choir, as these were all significant to Addy:

The Trevor Project http://bit.ly/3Wl48O1

Muscular Dystrophy Association https://bit.ly/3WhC0vj

Peace of Heart Choir https://www.peaceofheartchoir.org/donate

Addy was loved by all that knew her and is survived by her adoring parents Lucinda and John, her brother John Robert, with whom she shared an extraordinary bond, her grandmothers, Joanne and Irene, and a devoted family including her Uncle Lawrence and Aunt Elizabeth, her three cousins, Jack, Brody and Mia, her Aunt Lori, her godparents, Monica and Vito, and extended loving family throughout the United States and Uruguay.

You are encouraged to leave messages of condolence and words of support by clicking the ‘Add A Memory’ button that can be found below.