About Team Massimo Warriors:

Team Massimo Warriors was founded in 2019 by Massimo’s parents, Maureen and Frank Cherichella, as their son, Massimo, was born prematurely and has endured many surgeries since birth. When Massimo was born, he was 23 weeks, weighing 1 pound 6 ounces, and spent 4.5 months in the NICU undergoing his first of many surgeries. During that time, a blood clot traveled down his right leg, and he developed bone infection on that right leg. The infection was treated but the growth plates on the right leg were affected and his toes self-amputated. He was discharged at just about 5 pounds.

Our Mission:

Our hope through this foundation is to raise money to give back and pay it forward. Our goal is to help other families of children with serious medical needs, give back to local volunteer organizations, and provide scholarships.

Massimo’s Journey:

Over the last 12 years Massimo's devoted family has traveled to Philadelphia, Delaware, St. Louis, and now West Palm Beach in search of Pediatric Orthopedic Specialists looking for solutions that did not involve amputation. Under the talented and incredible team at Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida, Massimo will undergo his fourth limb-lengthening surgery in the summer of 2025, bringing his current total of surgeries to his right leg to 9. Massimo began his limb lengthening journey in 2019 with the doctors at the Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute with surgeries on his lower leg and foot. Massimo has undergone an upper leg lengthening surgery in the Summer of 2021, an urgent lower leg surgery in June 2022 (to stop his lower leg from growing more rotated and crooked), repeat lower leg lengthening surgery spring of 2023, and an unplanned hip surgery summer 2024. As Massimo is not done growing, he will continue to travel to West Palm Beach for more limb-lengthening surgeries over the upcoming years.

Massimo is almost 13 years old and is an amazing, determined, and dedicated boy who perseveres and thrives at enjoying activities and sports with his peers. Massimo wears a running blade as a prosthetic to compensate for the limb discrepancy and lack of toes.