On October 24, 2002, he was diagnosed with, stage IV, non-small cell adenocarcinoma, which metastasized to his liver and brain. He had radiation to the brain and several chemo treatments. He never complained throughout his illness and took advantage of that time to spend it with his loved ones. On July 10, 2003, at the age of 58, he lost his courageous battle at home surrounded by his loving family.

About the Gianni Ferrarotti Lung Cancer Foundation (GFLCF)

As the Ferrarotti family went through Gianni's journey with lung cancer they were surprised by the lack of compassion towards lung cancer patients in the medical community and the stigma that is attached to it. They also discovered that there is a lack of attention and funding for this horrible disease, even though that it is the #1 cancer killer in the United States. At this time, there is no early detection readily available which could possibly save many lives. As a result, GFLCF was founded in 2004 by the Ferrarotti family and friends in honor of Gianni's memory.

Gianni Ferrarotti Lung Cancer Research Fund

In 2005, a unique restricted for lung cancer research fund at Barbara Ann Karmanos Institute was established. All donated money will be used for lung cancer research. Contact Maureen Bender at benderm@karmanos.org to make a donation.

Helping Lung Cancer Families in Need

In keeping with our mission, we have contributed over $60,000 to the Gianni Ferrarotti Lung Cancer Research Fund at Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, as well as donated over $28,000 to over 90 needy families.

We are always looking for more families affected by lung cancer that need financial assistance. If you are a lung cancer patient, or are affiliated with an organization and know of families needing assistance, please contact us at 313-532-0983