Michael Terrio

Help Michael Get His Lung Transplant!

Michael Terrio is a 60 year old man who is very ill. In December of 2008, he was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The only cure for this disease is a double lung transplant. At the time of Michael’s diagnosis, he was told that he had 3 years to live if he did not receive a lung transplant. That was almost six years ago. It has been a very long road of ups and downs, severe illnesses, recoveries and relapses, trips to and from Pittsburgh for testing and procedures. The Terrio Family is very, very excited to announce that we have FINALLY received word that Michael will be placed on the lung transplant list at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania.

Most of you are aware that this news is a LONG time coming and we are so grateful to the many doctors, nurses and social workers who continue to help us navigate this endeavor. Now we are planning for the next challenge; transplants are life-saving but financially draining. Even with insurance, Michael is facing very high expenses including relocating for six months to be closer to the medical center for pre and post-transplant care, post-transplant medications of up to $1,200 a month and co-pays, lab fees and more.

To help with the financial burden of Michael’s uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in his honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, a trusted nonprofit organization that has been providing community-based fundraising guidance to patients and their families for more than 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible, are held by HelpHOPElive in the Northeast Lung Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. Please consider making a contribution today.

Our family wishes to express our sincere and heartfelt appreciation to our very special community of Somerville which has provided us with financial, emotional and physical support over the past year. We are immensely lucky to belong to a strong, generous and loyal community. We thank you for all of your words of encouragement and countless offers to assist our family. We love each and every one of you.

The Terrio Family
[email protected], 617-501-8123