Help Lorenzo get surgery & autism aid after loss

My name is Valentina and the young man in the video is my cousin Lorenzo. Lorenzo is one of the most kind and loving people I know. He has lived his entire life with autism and extreme cognitive disabilities; as a result he has depended entirely on his mother to get him through life.

 

It is with a heavy heart that I share with you that Lorenzo’s mom, my dear aunt Mariangela, died suddenly on the evening of December 2, 2021. Mariangela was an incredible woman and did everything she could to take care of her son. Lorenzo lost his mother and his caretaker in the same night.

 

While Lorenzo has been surrounded by love, he has never been able to afford proper healthcare. A dire consequence of this has been the development of a malformation in his jaw which makes speech difficult and is now rotting his teeth and gums. If it continues to go untreated it can lead to a permanent inability to eat. There is a dental surgery that we recently learned can reverse what would otherwise be permanent damage, but he needs to begin the process as soon as possible, ideally by the end of January 2022. The cost is 25,000 Euros (approximately $28,000). While expensive, it would change the course of my cousin’s life.

 

Lorenzo’s 78 year old father receives a small monthly pension that barely covers the cost of food and is unable to give him the level of care he needs. We tried to engage social services on his behalf but unfortunately he has aged out of their system. My family and I are doing everything we can to raise the money for this surgery and to be able to hire specific specialists that will help him become more autonomous and able to function in the world.

 

This holiday season we are asking our friends, loved ones, and kind strangers if they would be willing to donate to help to cover the cost of his surgery and get him the help he desperately needs. We would be so incredibly grateful if you could donate, pass this along and share to your friends, family, or anyone you think might be able and willing to help. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this. We appreciate any and all donations. You can donate here or venmo me @ValentinaSilardi16

We are beyond happy to share that with the help of the $14,000+ raised on the GoFundMr, Lorenzo will be getting his surgery at Umberto Primo, one of the best hospitals in Italy. Thank you doesn’t even begin to describe how much this means to us. We are so lucky to have had y’alls support.


The funds will be distributed to Gianpietro Silardi, Lorenzo's uncle who will handle Lorenzo’s finances as he goes through the surgery process.