Gina DiCarlo

Ambassador

My name is Gina, my Mom’s boyfriend of 25 years, Frankie, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2016.Frankie’s cancer was aggressive and quickly metastasized throughout his entire body. Almost as quickly as he was diagnosed, he passed away on August 16, 2017. Frankie was awarded ‘Humanitarian of the Year’ by the Knights of Columbus before his passing, an honor that only scratches the surface of the exceptional man he was, and always will be. He loved me, and he showed it continuously throughout his life, even when I was hard to love. Through his death, I am continuously inspired to be more like Frankie every day – giving of my time, energy, and compassion to those who need it. For my birthday, I started a fundraiser on Facebook for Project Periwinkle and was blown away by the support of my family and friends, far surpassing my fundraising goal. That birthday fundraiser has brought me here, as an Ambassador for Project Periwinkle and warrior for Frankie and every person who has lost their battle with this aggressive form of cancer. As an Ambassador, my goal is to spread awareness about stomach cancer with hopes of leading patients to earlier diagnosis. It is through research and individual awareness that we can begin to save the lives of the exceptional people we love.