Debbie Savigliano, founder of Bianca's Kids, will be featured in a documentary based on her book, 'From Grief to Gratitude: The Making of Bianca's Kids.'
When Debbie Savigliano, founder of the non-profit organization Bianca's Kids, penned a memoir telling the story of her journey into granting wishes for children, she did it for only one reason -- to share the story of how she turned her grief into something positive.
Bianca's Kids was founded in 2010, shortly after her niece Bianca Yodice was struck by a car and killed while crossing Route 1 in Edison, just after her 21st birthday.
In February 2015, her book, "From Grief to Gratitude: The Making of Bianca's Kids," was released and read by many people including Michelle Lamelza, executive producer with Fastlane Productions -- a film company based in Birmingham, Alabama.
"I read it on a train and was bawling," Lamelza said. "Then I had a dream about it. It just came to my mind that we had to show people that something good can come from something so tragic."
Lamelza contacted Jason O'Brien, owner of Fastlane Productions, and told him about Savigliano's book.
"The biggest thing that struck me was the theme of grief and gratitude," O'Brien said.
Lamelza and O'Brien discussed the idea of putting Savigliano's story on film and agreed it needed to be done.
"She found her purpose through grief," Lamelza said.
So, on Friday, O'Brien and Lamelza met Savigliano at the Autumn Pasquale Memorial Park in Clayton to shoot a scene for a documentary based on her book.
The Pasquale family -- Autumn's father Anthony, and siblings A.J. and Natalie -- also met Savigliano and the camera crew at the park for the second day of filming.
O'Brien and Lamelza will continue to film at various locations for the documentary and decide later what exact format the film will be released in.
"We'll take a lot of footage and then see where it's going," O'Brien said.
When O'Brien contacted Savigliano and told her he wanted to film a documentary about Bianca's Kids, she said she knew she had to include Autumn Pasquale's story.
After Autumn died in October 2012, Savigliano and Bianca's Kids stepped in to help.
Autumn was 12 years old when she disappeared while riding her bike on Oct. 20, 2012. A two-day search led to her body being found in a recycling container near an abandoned home in Clayton.
Justin Robinson, then 15, later confessed to luring her to his home in order to steal her bicycle and then strangling her.
Savigliano wanted to help A.J. and Natalie through their grief, and also do something for the entire family.
After sending Natalie to a Justin Bieber concert, and A.J. to Philadelphia Eagles training camp, she approached Anthony Pasquale and asked him what she could do to help the entire family.
"To see them smile was the greatest gift," Pasquale said.
But there was one thing he wished for his family and the entire community -- to have Ease Park dedicated to his daughter.
"I wanted a place for the community and family to go and express their joy," Pasquale said. "The big thing for me was creating memories for my kids."
Granting these wishes for the Pasquales brought both families together through their common bond.
"A lot of wish recipients don't know this, but you saved me," she told the Pasquale family while on set. "Being able to do something for the kids, those things heal my heart."
On Thursday, Savigliano was in Edison with O'Brien and Lamelza for the first day of shooting for the film.
"They asked me where I wanted to start, and I said, let's start from the beginning," Savigliano said.
She visited Bianca's grave site for the first time since her niece's death, then filmed at the funeral home where she first received the message to start a special organization.
While grieving at Bianca's service, Savigliano came up with the idea of creating a nonprofit organization to help children and families in need.
"It just came to me," she recalled. "I didn't even know what a nonprofit was."
She took the experience as a message from her niece to carry on the young girl's love of children.
"So we started at the funeral home where I got the message," she said. "It was very cathartic for me."
O'Brien and Lamelza will continue to film at various locations for the documentary and decide later what exact format the film will be released in.
"We'll take a lot of footage and then see where it's going," O'Brien said.
Savigliano is just happy to share her story in the hopes of helping others.
"Our two worlds came together over our respective loses," she said of the Pasquale family. "Had I not lost Bianca, we would never have met. I just know that Autumn and Bianca are friends up in heaven."
Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.