Help Debi Beat Cancer: Support Her Treatment

Help Us Give Debi a Fighting Chance

Hello, my name is Joe Pinella, and I am reaching out to ask for your help to save the love of my life, my wife, Debi.

In 2022, Debi and I made the difficult but hopeful decision to leave the United States and retire in Sicily, Italy. My business as a Qigong teacher, focused on serving retirement communities, was destroyed by the pandemic when those facilities closed. With rising expenses in the U.S., Sicily offered us the chance to live affordably near my extended family in the town where my father was born. We looked forward to a peaceful retirement, enjoying cappuccinos at the local pastry shop and exploring the beauty of Italy together.

But life had other plans.

The Fight of Our Lives

Shortly after we arrived, Debi was diagnosed with Covid, followed by 20 months of long COVID, a condition that brought crushing fatigue, severe brain fog, vertigo, loss of balance, and countless other debilitating symptoms. For nearly two years, I was her full-time caregiver, watching her fight each day to recover.

Then, in February 2024, our world turned upside down again. Debi was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. Despite the excellent care provided by the Italian healthcare system, the process was slow, and by the time her treatments began, the cancer had already weakened her severely. When her Italian oncologists referred her for surgery, we sought a second opinion. Tests revealed that her cancer had metastasized.

We knew we needed to act fast.

Finding Hope in Istanbul, Turkey

Through our research, we found a renowned cancer clinic in Istanbul, Turkey. (Chemothermia.com) This clinic uses an integrative approach that combines conventional oncology with supportive therapies, tailoring treatments to each patient’s unique needs. Debi is currently doing treatments at Chemothermia. Almost all the patients come here with stage four cancer, and we have met several who have returned here for check-ups, years after their first oncologists told them there was no hope.

It was a leap of faith to travel to a foreign country for care, but it’s a decision we are so grateful to have made.

From the moment we arrived in Istanbul, we were reassured. The clinic and affiliated hospitals are modern and immaculate, with cutting-edge equipment and expert, English-speaking doctors. Debi’s oncologist told us she has an excellent chance of full recovery.

In just three weeks of treatment, Debi’s energy has improved tremendously. Her symptoms are better managed thanks to supportive therapies, and her confidence has skyrocketed after meeting fellow patients who have overcome impossible odds. Ongoing tests show significant improvements, and we now have hope we thought we had lost.

Why We Need Your Help

This level of care, while more affordable than in the U.S., is still expensive.

• Clinic treatments cost $9,000 every two weeks, with a recommended three-month course of treatment totaling $63,000.

• Our accommodations and food in Istanbul cost $2,200 per month.

• Travel costs are minimal as Sicily is only a short flight away, but we’ve already exhausted much of our savings and charged the first three payments to our credit cards.

We’ve worked hard to fund Debi’s care—using the savings we had set aside to buy a home in Sicily and with generous help from some of my former Qigong students—but we can’t do it alone.

Stories of Hope

One of the most inspiring moments of our journey came during our first day at the clinic. While Debi was receiving treatment, I met Jackie, a fellow patient. She shared her story of being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer after being told by multiple doctors to go home and prepare for the end. That was two years ago. Today, Jackie has no signs of cancer and returns to Istanbul only for checkups.

Another patient, Sarah, was checking out of the clinic as we were checking in. She placed her hand on Debi’s shoulder and said, “You’re in the best cancer care clinic in the world.”

These stories, along with Debi’s own progress, give us hope and faith that this clinic can give her the fighting chance she deserves.

How You Can Help

We need your support to continue Debi’s treatment and give her the chance to beat this cancer. Every donation, no matter the size, helps us cover the costs of her care and brings us closer to the day she is fully healed.

I am so deeply grateful for the support we’ve already received—from family, friends, and my former students who allowed me to share my passion for Qigong with them. Your kindness and generosity give us strength to keep going.

Please help me save Debi. Your donation can make all the difference in the world.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

—Joe