In the Fall of 2018, our dear friend Mike Santarpio and his family heard the word that everyone fears: cancer. He was diagnosed with a large and aggressive tumor within his liver that was malignant. Now, if you know Mike, you know damn well he wasn't going down without a fight. So he said some choice words, dusted himself off and gave that tumor one hell of a battle. It is now a year later. He has fought valiantly. The chemo and radiation battles with the cancer may have ceased, but when you speak with him and see that smile, you know his soul, his spirit and his heart are still very much in the fight. This is why I am setting up this Go Fund Me: Over a year worth of tests, chemo, radiation, scans, hospital stays, medications, and office visits have resulted in bills upon bills piling up, causing undue strain and stress on the already war-torn Santarpio family. My goal is to help alleviate some of the financial burden and stress of making ends meet so his family can concentrate on what is so very important now, spending time with and enjoying every moment shared together.  Mike is and always will be one of a kind. There is no soul on earth like him and to be able to call him a friend is like winning the lottery. He has a devilish grin, a contagious laugh and a voice you could hear from down the street. His spirit is larger than life. He greets everyone with a smile, loves making people laugh and always tells it like it is. He was always so happy to share with people whatever he had and when he heard the chips were down for someone, he would be the first to stand up beside that person and help any way he could. If he has a passion for something, good OR bad, he will tell you all about it: from the Patriots, to who has the best deli, or how much he hates Wally the Green Monster and everything in-between. However, there is nothing in the universe that Mike loves more than his family. This is and has always been evident when you hear him talking about his 'boy,' Chris, or threatening to chase beautiful Stephanie's boyfriends away with shovels, or hearing him yell at game shows with Yia Yia or joking around with his sweet wife Paula. Mike also became a Nono when granddaughter Callie was born in May, and now his face lights up like Times Square whenever he hears her cooing. He would do anything for his family that he loves, and because of this, I am sure knowing that the family he adores is getting some help to ease their stress is going to give him a great deal of peace as well. So please, consider donating any amount you can manage. If you wish to contribute in other ways, simply sharing this on your wall or spreading the word to others is wonderful. Also, please feel free to send your messages, prayers or simply words of love and encouragement to the family and to Mike on here and I will be sure to send them right along. He (and they) will love every memory, note, etc. Thank you all so much. (sorry about the sideways photo - GFM won't let me rotate it and I am so new to GFM!)