NJ Woman Who Collapsed And Died Was A Devoted Wife And Mom: Obit

Funeral arrangements for a Bergen County mother of triplets who collapsed and died this week have been set.

The wake for Danielle Tessaro Convertino is Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Browning-Forshay Funeral Home, 557 Lafayette Ave., Hawthorne. The funeral service for Convertino is Monday at 2 p.m. at St. Anthony's R.C. Church, 276 Diamond Bridge Ave., Hawthorne, Convertino's obituary states.

Danielle Tessaro Convertino was a mother of 8th-grade triplets. She suffered from Lupus. She collapsed at about 7 p.m. Thursday in the Waldwick Middle School parking lot, according to police. (See related: NJ Mom Of Triplets Dies, Collapsed At Back To School Night: Cops)

Convertino was a devoted wife and mother who immersed herself in the fabric of Waldwick's community, the obituary states. She was heavily involved in the Waldwick football, wrestling, and softball programs and was a member of the Waldwick PSO.

She was predeceased by her child, Elso; parents, Bruno and Rosalie; and father-in-law, Giuseppe.

She is survived by her husband, Steven; children Julianna, Sophia, and Giuseppe; sister, Angela, and her husband Frank of Jackson; and mother-in-law, Anna.

Emergency personnel arrived on the scene and, when her condition began to deteriorate, Convertino was transported to The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood where she was pronounced dead, police previously said.

Convertino, who was married and had two girls and a boy, all 13, also had heart problems, according to friends and family. A GoFundMe page was recently set up for Convertino, saying she was fighting a major health issue "that has taken over her life."

More than $54,000 had been donated on the GoFundMe page as of Saturday night.

"Danielle was 'my person .... my 'soul sista,'" said her friend, Lauren DeCanio Marco, adding that Convertino was one of her first friends when she moved to Waldwick. "We raised our kids together. We vacationed together. We texted each other every day. We went out on the weekends with and without our husbands. We laughed together constantly. We trusted each other completely."

Convertino was in-and-out of the hospital trying to fight the disease, according to the GoFundMe page.

"Most recently, she was hospitalized because she has a mass in her chest that is painful, dangerous, and needs to be removed as soon as possible," the page said.

Eight months ago, Convertino was back in the hospital because she had fluid around her heart, according to GoFundMe. Doctors tried to reduce the fluid by giving her medication.

"This go-around has been very trying for Danielle, as she has been battling with tremendous chest pain," the page said. "We are praying she gets well quickly and is released soon because her family wants her home."

With reporting by Tom David, Patch staff

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photo courtesy of GoFundMe, a promotional partner of Patch