Nicholas Anthony Cipriano Fund

Nick’s Story

When Nicholas was two years old he was admitted to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia after we discovered he was suffering from cardiomyopathy. After four months in the hospital, Nick received a heart transplant on February 16, 2004. We were then blessed to have many more happy and healthy years with Nick.

Nick later received nephrology care as a teenager when his kidney function began to decline. His kidneys were damaged by BK virus, a complication that some transplant recipients and patients receiving immunosuppression face. Nick also developed post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), a form of cancer, from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. In the fall of 2019, Nick began to undergo nightly hemodialysis in hopes of bringing the levels of the BK virus down so that he could receive a kidney transplant. 

In June of 2022, Nick began having extreme abdominal pain. After numerous tests, Nick was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit and began chemotherapy treatments, while still receiving peritoneal dialysis. 

After a month in the ICU, Nick underwent a procedure to remove the port in his abdomen that he had previously used to receive dialysis at home. Following the procedure, Nick suffered a bleed that resulted in a cardiac arrest. 

Nick fought hard for five more weeks in the ICU. In August of 2022, he was able to come home with us. Although the doctors said we may have very little time with him, Nick was able to be at home with us for twenty days. He passed away on August 31, 2022 with his family by his side. 

Despite the seemingly constant obstacles Nick faced, he never allowed his illnesses to define him or prevent him from accomplishing anything he set out to do. Regardless of what life threw at him, he consistently took each challenge in stride and with grace. We were blessed to have twenty wonderful years with a son and brother as incredible as Nick.

The Nicholas Anthony Cipriano Fund

Transplantation requires a careful balance of immunosuppression — too little can lead to organ rejection, and too much can result in infections or malignancy. Unfortunately, achieving the optimal balance is often challenging and limited by our current medical knowledge. Through our partnership with Dr. Benjamin Laskin, MD, MS, and the Division of Nephrology, the Nicholas Anthony Cipriano Fund will launch a research project to study risk factors and markers for infection and PTLD after transplant. Although few patients develop PTLD after transplant, EBV infection is common and there is a need to identify biomarkers to determine which patients are at the highest risk for later PTLD. 

Advancing research into complications of transplant will honor Nick’s memory and help countless children who receive a heart, lung, liver, kidney or bone marrow transplant. The multidisciplinary team at the Division of Nephrology, including researchers from oncology, infectious disease and transplantation, is dedicated to improving outcomes for patients and changing the standard of care. 

From the Division of Nephrology at CHOP and the Cipriano family, we are so thankful for your meaningful gift and your support.