Cristiana Maddalena Deachman

2026 King Township Honouree

Featured in her very own kitchen, at her home in Nobleton, Ontario, Cristiana Maddalena Deachman proudly holds a fresh tray of what she’s known best for, as the beloved “Lasagna Lady”.  She’s resourceful and unstoppable – even going so far as to use the school BBQ to finish cooking and preparing the homemade sauce, meatballs and pasta lunches needing to be served during a blackout at Nobleton Public School.  She’s a passionate supporter of Congenital Heart Defect Awareness and she is deeply committed to the needs of her community.

Her connection to congenital heart defect awareness is direct and undeniably significant, as her daughter was born in 2004 with not one, but two defects that they were unaware of until 8 hours after she was born.  A ventricular septal defect and d-TGA (Dextro-Transposition of the Great Arteries)  to be specific.  Rushed to sick kids merely hours after being born and needing to undergo open heart surgery at just 5 days old, it would still be several months before Cristiana could bring her baby home.  That baby soon thrived and overcame any expected limitations.  Today, Isabella is a strong and determined young woman who has even enjoyed playing competitive soccer and will be graduating from post-secondary school this year.

We often take for granted the struggles that lead us to success and it’s these very challenges that teach us about strength, resilience, perseverance and of course, the importance of love.  While she was raising Isabella and navigating the many appointments and concerns that come with a child needing lifelong medical care, Cristiana also made it a priority to find and make time to get involved with events and fundraising at her daughter’s school.  Those early years are what inspired her to make her way out into the community at large with her own beautiful heart and her delicious homemade lasagnas.   

Over the last fifteen years, her impact has been significant and deeply felt throughout York Region with initiatives tied to Nobleton Public School, Nobleton Christmas Drive and the Trisan Community Centre.  Whether she’s cooking pasta lunches, baking lasagnas, raising funds for local families in need or preparing 40 individual lasagnas for volunteers during the pandemic, her actions and example absolutely reflect what she calls “Unconditional Kindness.”

More recently, in 2025, Cristiana expanded her outreach, coordinating with seven other women to prepare and deliver more than sixty lasagnas to families across multiple communities.  Originally inspired by local changemaker Mary Lyons, Cristiana continues to give selflessly, rooted in the values of her European upbringing, and embracing Canadian community life.

Never forgetting where her daughter’s life really began, Cristiana has raised and donated more than $60,000.00 over the last twenty years to the Labatt Family Heart Centre at Sick Kids.  She continues to fundraise and spread awareness in an effort to support and help other families needing those kinds of services and support.

For more information on the Labatt Family Heart Centre at Sick Kids, please visit:  https://www.sickkids.ca/en/care-services/centres/labatt-family-heart-centre/

Story Credit:

Meave Mastracci is the Owner of Ascend Services and a community-focused writer with over 25 years of experience helping local businesses grow. She specializes in community engagement, community give-back initiatives, and improving online presence through social media marketing, website design, Google verification and management, and the development of printed promotional materials. Her work—both in writing and business—champions good people, good businesses, and good organizations.  Contact: mmastracci@ascendalliance.ca