About Tony Pasquino

TONY IS HOME!!

6/30/09: Robyn and Tony drove from Pittsburgh and are safe and sound back home!

They got "the call" about a liver Saturday afternoon and headed to Pittsburgh! The liver got to the hospital Sunday morning and the transplant was to begin. Will keep posting updates!! Keep your fingers crossed!!!!

5/17/09: There was an article in the Charleston paper this morning on Tony - copy and paste the address: http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/may/17/long_road_home_after_transplant82546/

5/8/09: This past week was pretty eventful. Tony is off the vent and doing well. He was weaned off some of the pain meds, which was not easy, but he made it through! The doctors are pleased with his progress so far. Robyn has access to a computer again - so be sure to check the journal for more updates.

4/30/09: Tony went through surgery this morning to close up the incision site from the transplant. They were unable to pull his ab muscles tight enough, so just pulled the skin over and closed him up. May be able to go back in the future and reconnect muscles, but wanted to get him closed to start weaning him off the vent.

4/28/09: Tony is doing good - progressing each day. Plan to do surgery to close his stomach on Thursday 4/29. If all goes well, will move him to the brand new Children's Hospital on Saturday! Robyn hopes to have computer access in the next few days, so will be able to post in the journal and reply to notes in the guestbook. Please keep Tony in your thoughts and take a moment to write in the guestbook - Tony enjoys hearing from everyone!!

4/26/09 2:00pm: Surgery is finished - Tony is stable, he will be kept asleep and on ventilator until Thursday.

The original goal was $100,000 - and we met that in less than a year!!!  Donations are still being accepted - click the "donate" tab today to help!!!

WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS THE GRATITUDE FELT BY THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF TONY FOR ALL THE SUPPORT OVER THE PAST YEAR!!

We are advertis'd by our loving friends.

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

If friends are truly our advertisement, there couldn't have been a more robust endorsement of a man than that shown by the friends of Billy Johnstone on Tuesday night. The Daniel Island Grille was packed wall-to-wall, inside and out, with party-goers joining together to honor their friend, the man who is turning his personal tragedy into a miracle for a stranger. Billy isn't just sitting back to quietly await his fate. No, he has reached out, grasping the love of life and God with both hands. He's harnessed Zen-like energy and cast it upon a boy in need of a miracle. And anyone in attendance at Tuesday night's fund-raiser to honor Billy and benefit Tony Pasquino witnessed a miracle. Billy was able to bring together over a hundred people and give them a single focus - helping Tony. Funds were raised beyond anyone's wildest dreams.  Love and positive energy were practically tangible. And when it was all over, not only did a very sick boy and his family receive financial support they desperately needed, everyone's heart was left with the indelible mark of Billy Johnstone's love.



MEET TONY:

Tony Pasquino was born January 28, 1992, in Charleston, SC. He was 7 weeks early and weighed 4 ½ pounds and by the end of his first week he weighed only 2 pounds. At 3 months old, Tony was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (www.cff.org), a progressive lung and digestive disease. Tony’s first 12 years were pretty smooth – no hospitalizations, minor surgeries and daily routine of vitamins and enzymes to help Tony’s digestive system work properly in addition to twice-a-day breathing treatments.

Tony was diagnosed with liver disease on January 18, 2004. We took Tony on March 3, 2008 to the Pittsburgh Children's Hospital where he was placed on the liver transplant list on March 12, 2008. We are asking you to help Tony receive a new liver to give him a better quality of life, to feel well and to live without so much pain.

Tony has the strength to endure his intense medical treatments with an ease that few others could or would tolerate. He gives us strength to travel with him on this roller coaster ride of Cystic Fibrosis and Liver Disease.

With the cost of a transplant often exceeding $500,000, many transplant patients are unable to shoulder the financial burden of such a procedure. The Children's Organ Transplant Association (COTA) is a national charity dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-needy patients. In Summerville, volunteers are raising funds for transplant patients like local teen Tony Pasquino.

The doctors at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, recommended a life-saving liver transplant. An estimated $100,000 is being raised by Summerville volunteers (“Team Tony”).

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO CAME OUT FOR THE HALLOWEEN PAW-RADE - IT WAS A LOT OF FUN!!

OVER $400 RAISED FOR TONY!!!

CHECK BACK FOR PICS OF THE GREAT DOG COSTUMES!!

SPECIAL THANKS GO OUT TO:

ALBERTA SEREIKA          LYNDA HIGGINS

HELEN SMITH            BARBARA PASQUINO

MARGE IRIZARY          DENISE SAHLMANN

ANGELA PASQUINO (AND HER FRIEND ZORA)

STEPHANIE AND TONY PASQUINO

AND NONE OF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT:

MARY ANN RIDENOUR

ROBYN PASQUINO

MR. BILL

TEAM TONY WOULD LIKE TO SEND A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO BOB AND FIONA GRYGIEL AND FAMILY FOR THEIR GENEROUS DONATION OF OVER $7,500.00 TO TONY'S CAMPAIGN.

BOB AND FIONA ORGANIZE A GOLF AND TENNIS TOURNAMENT EACH YEAR IN HONOR OF THEIR DAUGHTER, LAURA, WHO WAS AN ORGAN DONOR HERSELF WHEN SHE PASSED AWAY AT THE YOUNG AGE OF 16. THIS YEAR, BOB AND FIONA CHOSE TO DONATE THE PROCEEDS OF THE TOURNAMENT (HELD OCT. 20 IN HILTON HEAD) TO TONY! AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY!!!

MORE PICS FROM THE HILTON HEAD EVENT:

"Collecting for the Cause"

You can donate old cell phones and printer cartridges at Inland Surf and Skate on Trolley Rd. Check back for more drop-off locations!

Joe Ridenour (7th grader at Summerville Catholic School) and Taylor Dojan (9th grader at Ashley Ridge HS) - friends of Tony - shown with old cell phones and printer cartridges they have collected to raise money for Tony!

If you have any ideas for future fundraisers to help Tony, please email Mary Ann, campaign coordinator, at ridenours4@aol.com

Have Questions or Comments for Tony or Robyn (Tony's mom) - E-mail Robyn at:

nosh39@hotmail.com

LIKE SURFING THE WEB?

RAISE MONEY FOR TONY USING GOODSEARCH.COM (POWERED BY YAHOO):

GO TO http://www.goodsearch.com/ , TYPE IN COTA UNDER "WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR?" - SCROLL DOWN TO TONY'S NAME. EACH SEARCH ADDS MONEY TO TONY'S ACCOUNT!

It's easy to make a donation to help Tony!!!

1. Online - click the "Donate" tab above

2. At any Wachovia bank - account # 3000025117580

*****CHECK OUT "TONY'S HEROES" - CLICK LINK BELOW! *****

Got Spare Change?

Find out where to drop it off to help Tony at the bottom of "Tony's Heroes" page!

Thank you for helping us reach our goal!

smiling monkey

Want to get involved with Tony's Campaign? Check out the "Activities" and "Volunteers" tabs above to find out how!

HERE ARE SOME PICS FROM VARIOUS EVENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE TO HELP TONY! IF YOU HAVE ANY PICS TO SHARE, PLEASE EMAIL TO HEATHER WAYNE: HWAYNE1@HOTMAIL.COM

Tony surrounded by the "Skate Tony" crew

Tony drawing the winning ticket for the Springsteen concert

Tony and Daniel Dickerson (manager of Chick-fil-A) at Spirit Night

Tony blowing the starting horn for the Wescott 5K

Tony and the No Limit Riders - they took Tony on his

first ever motorcycle ride!

(Spirit night at Chick-fil-A)

Mary Ann Ridenour and Stef (Tony's sis) at the Mad Hatters Tea Party and Chinese Auction

Don't Forget To Sign My Guestbook!

Mary Ann Ridenour, Tony, and Heather Wayne

Tony and Tiggy the gibbon

TONY'S HEROES

WOOF WOOF - THANKS - TO ALL THE SPONSORS OF THE HALLOWEEN DOG PAW-RADE:

HOME DEPOT - DONATED PAINT STIRRERS TO USE AS NUMBERS FOR PAW-RADE PARTICIPANTS

WIGGLEBUTT GROOMING - DONATED PRIZES - 184 COLLEGE PARK RD LADSON

SPOIL 'EM ROTTEN - RENTED A BOOTH TO ADVERTISE DURING THE PAW-RADE - GROOMER AND PET STORE - BACONS BRIDGE RD

PADDLING PAWS - AQUATIC THERAPY - DONATED A GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR AN INTRO SWIM - 944F COLLEGE PARK RD - 377-5802 - INFO@PADDLINGPAWS.COM

A BIG thank you goes out to all those who contributed to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and Chinese Auction:

·        Inland Surf and Skate – Trolley Rd

·        Trident Sports Medicine – North Charleston
·        Hair That Rocks – Trolley Rd

·        Wonder Wash – Dorchester Rd

·        Howl-A-Day-Inn – Trolley Rd

·        Laurie Capps – Mary Kay Consultant

·        95 SX

·        Charleston Battery Soccer

·        Carolina Reporting

·        Dinnerpeace.com

·        Ladle’s – Bees Ferry Rd

·        Moo Roo – Mary Norton

·        Holiday Inn – North Charleston

·        Summerville Communications

·        Conley Corner

·        Eileen’s Restaurant – Dorchester Rd

·        Sabrina Shambles – Arbonne consultant

·        A very special Thank You to the ladies of the St. Theresa’s Women’s Guild!!!

A very special thank you goes out to our 5K Race Sponsors:

·       Inland Surf & Skate of Summerville for donating signs and tents and for allowing race pamphlets to be displayed at the store.

·       Inkognito of Summerville for graciously donating 2000 copies of the race registration pamphlet

·       Fort Dorchester High School Sports Medicine – in particular Jimmie Rogers – for supplying the coolers, cups, tables, chairs, and ice for race morning. Jimmie also donated the trophies for the top 3 overall winners!

·       Carolina Women’s Care of Summerville

·       Liberty Tax Service of Goose Creek

·       Sun Sign of Summerville for donating 11 custom made signs for the race

·       Wonder Wash of Summerville for donating 2 gift certificates for car wash, displaying race pamphlets at store and volunteering to pass out water during the race

·       Howl-a-Day Inn of Summerville for donating 2 gift certificates

·       Mama’s Used Cars on Rivers Ave for donating balloons for race day

·       Strom Altman Dodge of N. Charleston for donating balloons for race day

·       Carolina Flooring on Dorchester Rd – BRONZE SPONSOR!!

·       Moe’s Southwest Grill of Summerville for donating 6 gift certificates

·       Signs ASAP of Summerville for donating 2 gorgeous banners to advertise the race – one is up at the entrance to Wescott – go check it out!

·       Chick-fil-a of Dorchester Rd, Summerville for donating a YEAR’S supply of Chick-fil-a for the drawing AND putting out 8 coin boxes

·       Frankie’s Fun Park of Summerville for donating 4 Fun Pack gift certificates

·       Screen East for giving us a big discount on the race t-shirts

·       MIL Corporation – PLATINUM SPONSOR!!!

·       Dog and Duck of Summerville

·       Precision Guitar and Music of Mt. Pleasant

·       South Carolina Sports Medicine

·       Home Décor Liquidators

·       The Golf Club at Wescott Plantation for donating 2 rounds of golf

·       Coosaw Creek Crab Shack for donating 2 gift certificates

·       Lowcountry Women’s Specialist

·       Applebee’s on Ashley Phosphate for donating 2 gift certificates

·       Professional Wallpaper by Denise

·       Prize Trophies and Treasures of Summerville for giving us a discount on race trophies

· Wescott Plantation Homeowners Association for all the continued support and help

"Team Tony" cupcakes made by Mary Ann, Campaign Coordinator

We would also like to thank these terrific groups and individuals for all their help and caring:

· Fort Dorchester High School – faculty raised $743.00 on “Jean Day for Tony” April 11, 2008!!!

· Fort Dorchester Elementary School – allowing us to use the school campus on race day; sent home registration pamphlets with students; advertised the fun run in the school newsletter…THANKS SO MUCH!!!!

· Ms. Westbrooks’ class at FDHS – sold candy for 10 days and raised a whopping $813.00!!!

· PIERCE FISHER – designed the awesome logo for the race shirt and put up with Heather asking to see several different variations – thank you so much for your time and efforts!!!! See you at the race in your new shirt!!!!