WEBVTT

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Hi,

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my name is Nick Di Brizzi Jr.

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I'm a residential realtor here in the Chicago land area,

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and I'm also the president of a 501c3 nonprofit called

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The Breathe Like a Boss Foundation.

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You see,

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I was born with a genetic condition called cystic fibrosis.

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CF is a condition that

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predominantly affects the lungs,

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and over 10 years ago things got so bad

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I needed to receive a double lung transplant to stay alive.

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And because of that experience and everything that happened.

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I started the Breathe Like a Boss Foundation

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because life is a journey.

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It's filled with

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many moments and trials and tribulations

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that shape us

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and for me one of those pivotal moments

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was definitely getting this double lung transplant.

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But it was also 5 years later getting a kidney transplant

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from my brother,

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because my personal health journey,

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although it was painful and,

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and,

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and difficult and God forbid I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

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It is what drove my passion

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to give back.

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It's what drives me to continue to do this every day,

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and that's why I'm grateful for everything that I went through

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and the support that I had received during my recovery and during

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that transplant was nothing short of miraculous.

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Fundraisers in Chicago,

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California,

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on the East Coast,

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donations from across the country.

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From other nonprofits,

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from strangers,

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I mean,

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the love of community was all around me,

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and I even felt the warmth of the support even from my family's hometown of Sassano,

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Italy,

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a small little village thousands and thousands of miles away.

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It was a beautiful testament

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to how,

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how,

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how compassion knows no borders.

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And,

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and so on October 17th,

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2015,

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when I received that call for my lung transplant

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and I was wheeled into that operating room,

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I was,

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I was no longer scared.

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All I felt was a sense of profound

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gratitude,

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profound sense of gratitude,

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and I remember making a promise to God that I would dedicate my life

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to helping others if he spared me,

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and that promise that I made to God,

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that promise fuels me every day.

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And I do believe that my angelic donor wherever she is,

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is watching over me and I hope she's proud of the path that I've chosen,

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because my mission,

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my mission is to honor her legacy.

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And to bring hope to those in need through the Breathe Like a Boss Foundation

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because our goal

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is simple but very vital

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is to provide exercise related grants

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and equipment

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to organ transplant recipients of any kind

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and those diagnosed with cystic fibrosis

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or other lung conditions

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because exercise,

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well that was my lifeline during recovery and and and

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and I know how important it is

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and I want other people to experience the same strength and support

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that transformed my life.

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Because my journey has shown me that true fulfillment,

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true fulfillment for me at least comes from giving back and making a difference,

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and I'm grateful to be healthy and I'm grateful to be motivated enough

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to help create a world

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where kindness,

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where kindness reigns supreme.

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A world where the gift of life

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is truly celebrated.

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And I'm proud to say that the Breathe Like a Boss Foundation has done this

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for the last 8 years.

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Thank you.