Eddie Palazzolo is a friend to many of us who grew up in the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville. I have personally known Ed almost as long as I have been alive and have great memories of him around the neighborhood and across the city when I was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s.

It breaks my heart to see him in need of so much medical care and being so far away in Virginia. Ed created a gofundme page and I want to take up this space where I would normally write a smart ass column, and share this with you all – please help if you can – Ed never asked anyone for anything ever. If anyone deserves some help from the old neighborhood, it’s this guy, right here. Now for Ed’s story:

Hi, my name is Ed, I will be 54 years old on May 13th, and I am living in a nursing home in Virginia.
I have been living in nursing homes, hospitals and rehab facilities for the last four years. I have a number of health issues. I have broken my back three times and my neck two times. I have had four operations for these issues and recently learned that I have a mass in my stomach.
I grew up in Somerville and the vast majority of my family and friends still live there. I need to go back to the Boston area, which has some of the best hospitals in the world and which is also my home. My girlfriend also grew up in the Boston area and recently returned there to look for a suitable place for me to live.
My situation is pretty bleak and I am in desperate need of some help, which is why I have turned to gofundme.
I need to get back to Boston as soon as possible. My family, my friends and my support systems are there. To get there though, I need special transportation. Physically, I cannot just get on a plane or train and go to Boston. I need to be transported by special van with medical staff on the ride. As you can imagine, this is very costly. I have been told it will cost between $5,000-$10,000. I will also need some money to hold me over until I can get appropriate living arrangements in an appropriate facility in the Boston area. Additionally, I will need about $5,000 to pay off storage and move my belongings. Since I am disabled, I have to hire moving crews.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I realize my needs are great and if I cannot reach these financial goals, then I will need to make some very hard decisions.
God bless you all. – Ed Palazzolo
Please donate to ED’s gofund me page on the link below: https://www.gofundme.com/patient-needs-to-return-back-home