After a long and difficult battle for him and his loved ones, my uncle, John Louro passed away on August 25, 2016, at the age of 48.

He leaves behind his loving wife, Celina, and two beautiful daughters: Marlene (17) and Isabella (12).

I am who I am because of my Uncle John. He was one of the driving influences in my life and fundamentally shaped who I have become as a man.

My Uncle John believed that family extended beyond blood - he loved and cared for anyone and everyone he met, regardless whether he met you that day or had known you since birth. You may have never met John, Celina, Marlene, or Isabella, but I ask you to please consider his family as your own today. As family does, we take care of one another.

As a dad, John’s wife and kids were his everything. Throughout the hard days, he was enduring, his hope was always that his girls would be empowered to go after life, despite the difficulty of the circumstances. He continued to encourage his family to pursue their passions, to explore their interests, to realize their dreams. He championed his daughter, Marlene, to pursue medicine and stressed to never short her education or dreams. In his honor, she'll be attending Fordham University this Fall as a Pre-Med major.

I never want his family to have a dream feel too big and out-of-reach. This campaign is to ensure that the memories created through his commitment to his family can continue on in some way.

Let’s celebrate his life, cherish the memories, honor his accomplishments and always hold John Louro in our hearts forever and always.

Thank you for all your support.