Community Corner

Holtsville Woman Recreates Special Moment

Cat Charrett-Dykes is one of 15 people who suffer from chronic migraines, and just took part in the "Rewrite Your Day" campaign.

Many people living with chronic migraine have missed out on special moments in their life. In order to raise awareness of the disabling symptoms and burden of Chronic Migraine, the National Headache Foundation, HealthyWomen and Allergan, Inc., partnered on the Rewrite Your Day campaign.  

As part of Rewrite Your Day, a total of 15 people living with chronic migraine have been selected to have a special moment in their life lost to the condition “rewritten” by celebrity event planner Mindy Weiss – symbolizing the 15 or more headache days a month experienced by people with chronic migraine. 

Catherine (Cat) Charrett-Dykes, who was officially diagnosed with chronic migraine in 2003 at the age of 35, is the second of 15 winners who earned the chance to work with Mindy Weiss to re-create a special moment lost to chronic migraine.

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Charrett-Dykes has had to miss out on many important yet everyday moments in her life due to her condition, but the most heartbreaking were those that were special with her family. Her worst Chronic Migraine memory is from the summer of 2007, when her immediate and extended family decided to get together for a family reunion in New Hampshire. Family has always been important to Charrett-Dykes, and the burden of a chronic condition has made it difficult for her to stay close with her siblings and their families.

She wished more than anything that she could remain migraine-free for this special occasion, but the week of the reunion brought a horrendous migraine and Cat had to rest in the hotel room with the lights dimmed, while her entire family – including her husband, children, mother, siblings, nieces and nephews – participated in activities without her.  She was especially disappointed that she had to miss the family’s traditional Italian pot-luck dinner that would have made her Dad proud had he been alive to see it.

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For Charrett-Dykes’ re-creation, Mindy Weiss arranged a special family dinner at Il Mulino New York, in Roslyn, Long Island, so that could experience a traditional Italian dinner similar to the one she missed during her reunion.  Mindy even arranged for Cat to work with Il Mulino’s chef to help prepare the dinner for her family, to thank them for being so supportive during all of her debilitating migraines that have interrupted their lives.


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