Pier Giono

Family and friends of Pier Giono are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with a transplant. Pier has chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because donations are tax deductible for contributors and will only be used to cover medical and related expenses.

My Story

My name is Pier, and throughout my life I have believed in the values of hard work, integrity, perseverance, and helping others. These principles have guided me through every stage of my life and continue to give me strength today.

I was born in Italy, and when I was just two years old, my family immigrated to Mexico in search of new opportunities. I grew up surrounded by the rich cultures and values of both my Italian heritage and my life in Mexico. Later, I continued my journey by moving to the United States, where I built my life, formed lifelong friendships, and found opportunities that allowed me to grow both personally and professionally.

Living in three different countries has taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of never giving up. Every step of that journey has shaped the person I am today and strengthened my belief that even life’s greatest challenges can be met with hope, determination, and faith.

Throughout my life, I have been blessed with opportunities to learn, grow, and serve others. I began my career in the mining industry, where I learned the importance of teamwork, discipline, and solving difficult problems. Later, I worked in the recycling industry, where I took pride in helping protect the environment while serving our communities.

Eventually, I discovered my true passion in the water and wastewater industry. Helping communities, businesses, and industries solve water challenges has given me a deep sense of purpose. Over the years, I have been fortunate to build lasting friendships with customers and colleagues who became much more than business relationships. Knowing that my work helped provide clean water, protect the environment, and solve important problems has been one of the greatest rewards of my life.

I have always believed that if you work hard, treat people with kindness and respect, and never stop learning, you can overcome almost any obstacle. Those values have carried me through every chapter of my life, and they are the same values I hold onto today.

Today, however, I am facing the greatest challenge of my life.

I am on a heart transplant journey.

Living with advanced heart disease has changed nearly every aspect of my life. Things that once seemed simple—walking long distances, climbing stairs, or enjoying everyday activities—now require much more effort. My world has become filled with doctor appointments, medications, medical testing, and the hope that a heart transplant will give me the chance to enjoy many more years with the people I love.

 My treatment will take me from El Paso, Texas, to Baylor Scott & White in Dallas, where I will receive specialized cardiac care. My medical team expects that I may need to remain in Dallas for three to four months after surgery so they can closely monitor my recovery and ensure the best possible outcome. During that time, I will need to stay close to the transplant team for frequent follow-up visits, laboratory testing, and ongoing medical evaluations.

The months ahead will require me to focus almost entirely on my recovery. While I hope to regain my strength as quickly as possible, the road ahead is uncertain, and healing will take time. During this period, I will continue to face many expenses associated with my transplant, ongoing medical care, and my extended stay in Dallas.

Although I have private health insurance, a heart transplant brings many expenses that insurance does not fully cover. These include travel to and from Dallas, temporary lodging during my recovery, meals, local transportation, medications, routine dental care required to maintain transplant eligibility, follow-up appointments, laboratory testing, and other transplant-related expenses that may arise during my recovery. Unexpected medical needs or additional procedures may also create additional financial challenges.

To help ease some of these burdens, I have partnered with Help Hope Live. Their nonprofit program allows family, friends, and anyone who wishes to support my journey to contribute according to their guidelines. Every act of generosity helps ease the financial burden so I can focus on what matters most—my treatment, my recovery, and spending precious time with the people I love.

One of the greatest sources of strength throughout this journey has been my wife. Her love, patience, understanding, and unwavering support have carried me through the most difficult moments. She has been beside me every step of the way, encouraging me when I felt discouraged and reminding me that I am never facing this journey alone. I truly cannot imagine walking this road without her.

I am also deeply grateful for my two daughters, whose love, encouragement, and constant support have given me strength when I needed it most. Seeing the incredible women they have become fills me with pride, and their unwavering belief in me gives me the courage to keep moving forward every day.

My beautiful new granddaughter has given me an even greater reason to keep fighting. She represents hope, new beginnings, and the future. I dream of watching her grow, celebrating her birthdays, sharing stories, making memories together, and simply being there as she discovers the world. She inspires me every single day and reminds me why I am determined to regain my health.

 I also want to thank my sisters for always standing beside me. Their love, kindness, encouragement, and countless prayers have been a constant source of comfort. No matter what challenges life has brought, they have always been there for me, and I will forever be grateful.

To my extended family, thank you for your love, your prayers, your phone calls, your messages, and your encouragement. Every act of kindness, no matter how small, has reminded me that I am surrounded by people who truly care.

And to my friends, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Some of you have known me for decades, while others have come into my life more recently, but each of you has made a difference. Your friendship, your support, your words of encouragement, and simply letting me know you are thinking of me have given me strength during some of the hardest days of my life.

Whether you keep me in your thoughts and prayers, share my story with others, send words of encouragement, or choose to support my journey through Help Hope Live, please know that your kindness means more than I can ever express. Every prayer, every message, every donation, and every act of generosity give me hope and reminds me that I am not walking this journey alone.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for standing beside me during this chapter of my life. Your compassion, friendship, prayers, and support mean more to me than words can express.

With your help, I look forward to the day when I can regain my health, return to the life I love, continue helping others, enjoy precious moments with my family, watch my beautiful granddaughter grow, and embrace the incredible gift of a healthier future.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your kindness, your generosity, and for giving me hope during this journey.