The Gianna Cirella Memorial Fund

10/15/2026

Get 20% and support the Gianna Cirella Memorial Fund!
Go to www.jouersport.com
Use GCMF20 at checkout to receive 20% off! GCMF gets 10% of total sales using that code! It's a win win! Start Holiday shopping today!!

10/08/2026

RMDH of Providence holds a special place in our family's heart. So thankful to be able to honor Gianna this way 💜

We were honored to welcome Tonya from the The Gianna Cirella Memorial Fund back to Ronald McDonald House in Providence this week as they renewed its support of our Adopt a Room program. ❤️

Created in memory of Gianna Cirella, the memorial fund is committed to keeping Gianna’s legacy alive while raising critical awareness about sepsis.

Through their continued support, Gianna’s memory lives on within our House, providing comfort, care, and a home away from home for families during some of their most difficult days.

We are incredibly grateful to Tonya, Tara, the Gianna Cirella Memorial Fund, and everyone who continues to honor Gianna by making a difference for others.

Thank you for allowing us to be part of Gianna’s beautiful and lasting legacy. ❤️

09/28/2026

Our voices can be heard, action can be taken, lives can be saved! Check this out:

https://www.brownhealth.org/be-well/sepsis-care-changing-and-it-starts-you-reach-hospital?

Sepsis is a medical emergency. Hospital emergency departments and local emergency medical teams are working together to improve outcomes and start treatment as soon as possible.

09/28/2026

Successful Outreach to Nursing Home Leaders
During Sepsis Awareness Month, GCMF board member Jeff Howe, who is a Captain at the Exeter Fire District, Division of EMS, participated at an event organized by the RI Health Care Association. Administrators, nursing directors, and supervisors from nursing homes across the state attended. OZGA EMS Training and Allied Health sponsored a table and invited Jeff to distribute our sepsis materials. Jeff handed out multiple “IT’S ABOUT TIME™” posters listing the signs and symptoms of sepsis. Many nursing home leaders said they would display them prominently so that their staff can become aware of what to look for and to consider “could this be sepsis” when caring for patients. This outreach was particularly important because patients in nursing homes are at increased risk for sepsis.
https://www.gistrong.org/post/successful-outreach-to-nursing-home-leaders

09/25/2026

Get in touch if you are interested in hosting a presentation to learn more about Sepsis.
We welcome the opportunity to educate and explain the signs and symptoms to watch for, along with sharing sepsis stories regarding the different ways in which it can present and manifest. Whether it is for your school, business, community center, or you and a group of friends interested in learning more, we need to spread the word about this leading cause of death. Simply email us at [email protected].

https://www.gistrong.org/post/get-in-touch-if-you-are-interested-in-hosting-a-presentation-to-learn-more-about-sepsis

09/24/2026

Purple Day at Higgins, Cavanagh & Cooney
GCMF president Tara Cirella and colleagues at Higgins, Cavanagh & Cooney held their annual Purple Day to mark Sepsis Awareness Month. Anyone who donated any amount to the GCMF could “dress down” by wearing jeans and something purple in honor of Gianna’s favorite color. The office also enjoyed pizza and cupcakes with purple frosting for lunch. The thoughtfulness and effort, in addition to the money raised for the Fund to support our mission is appreciated beyond words.

https://www.gistrong.org/post/purple-day-at-higgins-cavanagh-cooney

09/23/2026

Sepsis Lunch & Learn at URI OLLI

We had great attendance at the Sepsis Lunch & Learn event at URI’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The audience included OLLI members and staff, as well as two nurses from South County Hospital involved in sepsis care. GCMF board member Ann MacDonald led a discussion of what sepsis is, how it is diagnosed and treated, and how to prevent it. But the heart of the presentation took place when Tara shared Gianna’s story, Ann shared her mother’s, and Wendy Doremus, RN, DNP, a school, community, and public health nurse, talked about how she developed and ultimately survived sepsis. Class participants were engaged and visibly moved by these stories. They went home with GCMF bookmarks and other handouts about how to stay safe.

https://www.gistrong.org/post/sepsis-lunch-learn-at-uri-olli

09/23/2026

💜💜💜this community is everything 💜💜💜

09/22/2026

Join the Sepsis movement and host a purple day!

We can supply Sepsis postcards, posters and bookmarks for your event. They are a great way to have the critical information on Sepsis at your fingertips. Email us at [email protected] for your materials.

https://www.gistrong.org/post/join-the-sepsis-movement-and-host-a-purple-day

09/21/2026

GCMF awards grant to South County Hospital to improve sepsis patient care! - https://mailchi.mp/gistrong.org/schgrant