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Fight for Mike

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Hello, my name is Rosanna and, I am starting this account on behalf of one of my best friends, Michael Gonzalez, because I know he is far too humble to start one himself.

Michael is a committed, resilient, ambitious man who standing at 5’6” once weighed an astounding 350lbs. and has worked extremely hard to get down to 150lbs. via a lifestyle change.  He went from eating the un-healthiest meals you could imagine on a daily basis, to now valuing his precious life and ensuring that his meals presently are moderate in proportions and conducive to his health.  In addition to smart eating choices Mike began to box and boxing truly saved his life.  On the precipice of coming face to face with heart disease and diabetes Mike introduced boxing to his body and has thus far kept those conditions so common with people who suffer from obesity, at bay.  Mike now works and trains out of Universal Boxing Gym and spends his days helping others to realize their potential when it comes to not only healthier lifestyles but also with boxing.  He tirelessly helps members with their weight-loss journey and has devoted his life to their success. 

Mike’s weight loss journey began several years ago and within the first two years he successfully got himself down to a healthy weight of 160lbs. purely through eating healthy, balanced meals and a devotion to boxing.  Such a remarkable achievement is to be applauded and would leave any of us feeling proud and confident.  However, as is common with extreme weight loss, he has excess skin that sags and so day in and day out he laboriously works to tighten that skin with weightlifting exercises but it is to no avail and thus his confidence has quickly dissipated.  Mike has carried around this excess skin for years, trying to hide it, wearing uncomfortable tight undershirts daily to hold the skin in his midsection in place, and even wearing it while competing in various boxing tournaments such as the New York Daily News Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament, and the New York Metros Championship Tournament.   Mike has even created an impressive amateur boxing record for himself, currently at 15-4 competing not only in tournaments as both a novice boxer and into the open class division fighting at 152lbs.  It is now time to have the excess, saggy skin removed and go forward with the body lift surgery Mike deserves!  After consultation with doctors Mike learned that he will need at least two surgeries to fix all that needs fixing, removing skin from his midsection, arms, chest, thighs and back.   Unfortunately, health insurance will not cover any of this as they consider it to be purely cosmetic even though it can be detrimental to ones mental health.  As you can imagine it is VERY expensive and Mike needs and deserves our help because he is the epitome of hard work, resilience, courage, compassion, empathy and altruism! One surgery will cost $10,000 while the second one will be $27,000 and so our first goal is to reach $10,000 to complete the first half of his procedures.

Mike is a fighter; he fights to help the members of Universal Boxing Gym realize their potential as others have helped him realize his own; he fights to maintain his health; he fights to conjure up confidence and he fights because has to.  Lets help Mike fight and contribute to this cause, as we all know "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another."


Organizer and beneficiary

Rosanna Giovanniello
Organizer
Ozone Park, NY
Michael Gonzalez
Beneficiary

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