Few people achieve an internet presence by 10 months old.
But for little Castiel Kelly. there is little choice, whose devoted aunt, Mekailia Gabbert of Whitman, is using platforms like GoFundMe – as well as TikTok (castielvscancer), Instagram (castielvsneuroblastoma) and Facebook (Castiel Crushes Cancer), to ensure that her precious nephew has a fighting chance against Stage 4 High-Risk Neuroblastoma. She and a team of friends are also working offline to plan fundraising events in the community to help him and his family.
A social worker had sat with his parents about a week into Castiel’s treatments and told them their uncovered medical expenses, including travel and related expenses, typically costs families between $100,000 and $200,000 for this type of cancer, according to Gabbert.
The GoFundMe Goal is set at $100,000. The last time Gabbert checked, the fund had reached nearly, $34,000.
“We just don’t want this to ruin them completely,” she said of her aunt an uncle, Michae and Leidiane Kelly of Weymouth. A basket raffle will be held at the Whitman Knights of Columbus on Aug. 9, for which a lot of businesses have contributed.
“It’s what you do for family,” Mekailia said of the fundraising work. “I’ve always been very blessed with the people in my life – they show up for me. … and this has been a group effort.”
Her friends, calling themselves Castiel’s Crew, have helped hand-deliver more than 250 letters to local businesses in Whitman, Abington, Weymouth and the Bridgewaters, seeking donations door prizes. They also donated to events already held, as well as working to write those letters to businesses, picked up raffle tickets and have helped get T-shirts printed and are wearing the shirts.
“They’re stepping up every way that they can,” she said
“Castiel is a very loved little boy, and most of the people who are doing this haven’t met him … because he can’t have visitors,” she said.
Mekailia’s parents have also gone the extra mile for their nephew who, she jokes, they may love more than their own kids.
“They’re very hands-on,” she said. “[They] always know what’s going on medically, always knowing what his parents need, and that allows me to focus on the fundraising part.”
Diagnosed on April 30th at just over 7 months old, Castiel had endured “intensive chemotherapy, six surgeries, blood transfusions, emergency room visits and multiple infections” Gabbert stated in a press release to the Express this week.
“He had a couple symptoms like fatigue, and loss of appetite – a few of those generally concerning, but, where he was a baby, he got brushed off a lt,” Mekaiia said. “His parents got brushed off. It wasn’t until a lump formed on his neck and one on his head, that the family was taken a little more seriously. Even still, trying to get in for a scan of those was difficult.
After waiting a few days, Castiel was scheduled for an ultrasound.
“They got a call almost immediately after the ultrasound was done.” Mekailia said Monday, July 21. “They weren’t even off the [hospital] property yet, I don’t think, and they were told to go to Children’s Hospital. They drove straight there [and found that] there was a medical team waiting for them in the lobby. … It was awful, obviously, probably the worst-case scenario to have doctors there, waiting for you.”
Less than 24 hours after the ultrasound, the family received the devastating diagnosis – Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. After a biolpsy and blood work it was also determined to be-risk, as well, which is worst-case scenario.
Mikailia went right to work to help her family.
“They’re bouncing back and forth,” she said of her uncle and his family. Originally from Weymouth, where her uncle Mike grew up there. He and his wife Leidy, had moved to Nashua, N.H., not long ago for work, and must now drive to Children’s Hospital whenever Castiel needs care.
“The out-patient [care] is where it gets really expensive – with the back and forth,” Mekailia said. “If the Boston House or the Ronald McDonald housr doesn’t have a room for them that night, then it’s a lot of either driving all he way back to Nashua or paying for a hotel – and then there’s the medical bills and everything like that.”
Despite all the medical care he’s been going through, Castiel is a “sweet. Happy baby,” his proud aunt said, but she noted that the last couple of weeks have been the hardest so far. “He hasn’t been so much of his happy self of late.”
The 10-month-old has been through four rounds of chemotherapy, seven surgeries, with an eighth scheduled for Friday, July 25, being done to go after his primary tumor, which is right beside his kidney, according to Gabbert. From there, another round of chemotherapy is planned, as well as an appointment with an audiologist, because the specific type chemo he has been getting is known to damage hearing.
A full body scan is also being scheduled at that time to figure out if the tumors are responding to the doses of chemotherapy.
Besides raising some awareness of the disease, as well as raising funds to help Catiel’s parents, who have another child with special needs. .

HANSON – A little more than a week after following Chief Michael Miksch in the job of Hanson’s Police Chief, Michael Casey was officially sworn into the role during the Tuesday, July 8 Select Board meeting.
Miksch, who had served in the job for 13 years, retired effective July 1, and had recommended Casey, who had come up through the ranks at the department, was most recently serving as deputy chief.
But first, there were two retirements to honor – the first of those being Miksch’s, “who you know loves to have attention paid to him,” Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said, with a touch of irony.
Chief Casey had hosted a retirement party for his predecessor and former boss on Sunday, June 29. At their July 8 meeting, the Select Board presented Miksch with a citation, read by FitzGerald-Kemmett, which saluted his nearly 30-year career in law enforcement, as well as the 12 years he has served Hanson residents.
“I’ve said this before, I really value the leadership you have brought to this town, the support that you’ve given all of us in some very weird moments … and you’ve always been on the other end of the phone, talking us off the ledge and giving us sound advice,” she said.
The Board also presented a citation to Michelle Hughes as she retired from a 32-year career in law enforcement. She had been the Hanson Police Department’s first female officer.
“Thirty-two years, raising kids and giving back to the community – amazing,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “We’re so lucky to have such dedicated employees … but, it’s more than that.”
Then it was Casey’s turn in the spotlight as Town Clerk Jessica Franceschini swore him in and Casey’s wife pinned on his new badge.
“We want to wish you the absolute best on this new chapter,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “You’re inheriting a force that’s in really good shape and Chief Miksch has laid an amazing foundation and we can’t wait to see what you do with it as you make it your own, and you’ve got a great staff to do it with.”
Casey thanked the Board for honoring him with the position and a unanimous vote.
“I’ve always dreamed it since I got here 30 years ago, and it means a lot,” he said, noting that he and the retiring Michelle Hughes started on the department together in 1996. “I’m excited for a new chapter.”
In other business, the Select Board heard an update on the MBTA Communities issue from Town Administrator Lisa Green.
“We need to wait and see what’s going to happen,” Green said, noting the town would be in compliance until July 13. “On the 14th we may know, or we may not know what action the attorney general’s going to take, because there are [fewer and fewer] communities that are going to be noncompliant,” she said. “More and more communities who were non-compliant, have adopted some form of a zoning district,”
“If we can come up with our own plan, which is compliant. then we maintain control” said Select Board Vice Chair Ann Rein.
FitzGerald-Kemmett also said the Select Board could use some clarity from the Planning Board on the matter.
“Are they planning on reproposing it, or are we going to talk with them about 40R?” she said, noting that board had been looking at 40R regulations before the state received Supreme Jucicial Court,
Middleboro was among a small group of towns that successfully took the 40R route successfully, but FitzGerald-Kemmett said Town Counsel’s opinion is that Middleboro has been successful mainly because they had their 40R program in place beforehand.
She added that Hanson’s Planning Board as already done the work toward implementing 40R zoning in the town.
“I want to check back with them what kind of timing are we looking at and then check with our town counsel – does he feel as though he could have a conversation and influence some outcome there, so perhaps we can use that as some leverage,” she said.
Green said she had already begun a conversation with Town Planner Anthony DeFrias and would check back with him on what further steps are needed for the town to pick up the 40R again. The Board also voted to again sign intermunicipal agreement governing the ROCCC 911 call center so the town’s emergency calls would continue to be answered.
“I know when we originally entered into this contract part of what was extremely appealing to us was that there was a portion of our costs that were being reimbursed by the state,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Of course, that gravy train has stopped and we’re now bearing the full cost of that.”
Aside from that, she asked Green if there were any other major changes. Green replied that there were none. The board voted to re-enter the agreement and to empower Green to do so, as well and to negotiate any changes the Board might seel.

HANSON – In Court papers signed by Plymouth Superior Court Justice Brian S. Glennny on May 27, 2025, another legal salvo was fired in the ongoing dispute between the town and owners of a commercial building at 1057 Main St.
This particular outbreak has been building over several years of motions and delays as Hanson officials have tried to achieve what Glennny ruled in response to requests of the Court from Hanson Fire Chief Robert O’Brien, the Building Inspector and the Hanson Fire Department..
Citing safety violations which “have continued over a long period of time,” Glenny ruled that Joseph Marangiello, in his capacity as Trustee of J&M Realty Trust, and owner Plymouth County Superior Court Justice Brian S. Glennny of the building at 1057 Main St., in Hanson is in civil contempt for failing to comply with the court’s July 16, 2024 order to evacuate some building tenants, permit safety and health inspections and to maintain a safe building.
Meanwhile, Maria Marangiello insists that the properties she and her husband own as J&M Realty Trust at 1011 and 1057 Main St., have been the target of hostile filings made by the town.
“In reality, their (the buildings) are old, they don’t want to see them there, they feel its unsafe, but, my thing is, we haven’t had any issues with fires in there – or anything, to be honest,” Mrs. Marangiello said Tuesday, so I don’t see the logic of being singled out just because it’s old. It was being used correctly. It wasn’t being abused.”
“We’re not making this guy tear this building down,” said Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett. “We’re not making him sell the building. We’re merely holding him to a standard that everybody else is being held to, which is, if you’re going to own a property, it needs to be safe an if you’re going to rent it, it needs to be safe for other people to be coming in and out of the building.”
“We don’t stand a chance,” Maria Marangiello said on Tuesday, July 8. “Everybody’s moving out. There was an auctioneer in.”
Mrs. Marangiello said she understands that town officials are concerned about public safety, but questions why that same concern is not evident toward similarly aged commercial buildings in town. As to the reason, she just looks to the two new mixed-use commercial/residential buildings not all that far down the street.
“Personally, I think whoever owns those apartments is paying off, to be honest. I don’t care what anybody says. We were doing fine. We didn’t have any issues there,” she said, adding that she and her husband are fine and have accepted the situation. She added that, for town officials like the Select Board, just because they are elected, does not make them perfect.
“For over two years, we’ve been going to Plymouth Court [to challenge Hanson’s demands for those inspections and improvements,” said; “The judgment was that the building is technically condemned, so he has to move everything out. He had tenants in there who were kind of pushed out and everything.”
“The thing that pisses me off is that people are saying [largely on social media] that,’ the town is just doing this because they want to develop [the property],” Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said Monday. “No. We literally had the state fire marshall come to the site, as well, on more than one occasion.
Deputy Fire Chief Charles Barends could only confirm that the court order was made “after a long take with code enforcement.
“That’s pretty much all we have,” he said. “Everything else is a legal matter at this point, so unfortunately, we’re limited as to what we can say.”
Is the town trying to take possession of the building?
“Nope. No. Not at all,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “No. No. No, you don’t want to own that liability.”
FitzGerald-Kemmett said the town, especially, the Select Board, had been trying to help Marangiello with his plans to develop the property.
“We offered him a TIF,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “I personally offered a TIF (Tax Increment Financing plan) to him, with [then-Select Board Administrative Assistant] Merry Marini. We said, ‘If you want to do the work to bring his building up to code, we will defray taxes until you get the building up to the point where it needs to be, and then we’ll tax you. We figured the town would win because we’d get the building fixed up and we’d ultimately get taxation on a more improved building.”
But, she said Marangiello had turned down the offer.
Before her, former Selectmen David Soper and James McGahan had also sought to assist Marangiello.
Mrs. Marangiello countered that “everything was an issue, from Day One.”
“They’re just trying to clean up shop. It’s very discriminatory in my mind If I had the money, if I was that rich, I would definitely try to sue that town, she said, pointing to the town’s fight against th MBTA Communities program.
“It’s not right, people have to live,” Maria Marangiello said, noting that the town is “very cliquey, they have the lawyers that they hire which are paid for by the town.”
She also charge the building commissioner with having the mission of shutting them down.
“We have a whole group of people, ready and willing to work with him – the Select Board, building commissioner, our Planning Board and our planner, all ready to work with this guy,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “He’s been offered help multiple times. He just doesn’t want it,”
In 2016, he had also been approved for converting some of the building into apartments, but that was never done. FitzGerald-Kemmett said there is a problem on the property, but was uncertain how much that contributed to the lack of follow-through on the apartments.
She did say that the DEP recently reached out to the Select Board to let them know the agency “has some problems with 1057 Main St.,” concerning contamination of the property.
“He’s put so much money into fighting the town instead of just doing what he should do,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “You don’t get to have all the benefits of owning a property and making money off of it, without having the responsibility of keeping that property up to code. … It’s not your house. It’s a commercial property.”
Even after the court order to evacuate the property, FitzGerald-Kemmett said Marangiello had been advertising for commercial tenants on Craig’s List and other outlets, and the building is still for sale, for $1.25 million.
“It takes up such a huge chunk of Main Street, that every single person who’s run for Selectman has come in and said, ‘I’d love to see something come in and get improved there,” she said. “And I have tried … and it killed me to know that court order was going to mean that some businesses might not have a location, but I knew there was available space across the street, so if they’re legitimate businesses they can relocate, or find another spot because we do have some vacancies in town.”
On the other hand, Assessor Denise Alexander has told FitzGerald-Kemmett that she is not certain the town is receiving revenue from any of the businesses at 1011 or 1057 Main St.
“A different path we could have taken – had we had a competent building inspector at the time – would have been to have that building condemned and then order [Marangiello] to have it taken down, but we didn’t take that path, its for sale,” she said. “We thought maybe someone will buy it … The main thing we’re concerned about is fire hazards and the tenants that are in there.”
Conditions
The court’s conditions include evacuating the property at 1057 Main St. fortwith except for nine businesses and a residential unit occupied by Joseph Marangiello Sr., “and no others;”

• permit inspection and evaluation for building, fire, health and sanitary code issues, specifically for tenant businesses King’s Ransom Antiques, the cabinetry warehouse/supplier, a gunsmith/firearms dealer and any areas, units or portions of areas within the property used as storage;
• keep the property free of occupants for all areas, units and businesses not already exempted unless the town explicitly allows reoccupancy in writing or the court rules otherwise. Use of some areas for storage only – and no other occupancy – may be permitted with written guidance from the Hanson Fire Chief to the defendant through counsel and reinspection of storage units;
• arrange for and complete the inspection and certification of the building’s automatic sprinkler and fire alarm systems and provide reports and confirmation tp the Hanson Fire Department; and
• correct any and all violations of state building and fire code violations.
• Marangiello was given 14 days to complete the terms of the order, but it could be extended so long as good cause was shown, and King’s Ransom Antiques.