FLASHBACK from the past! Below is an article from the ORLANDO SENTINEL in 1991 about Compassion Children's Foundation, which is now known as Living With Victory Ministries.​

Orlando Sentinel

February 3, 1991

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WHATEVER HAPPENED TO … TONY GIORGIO

It’s weird, Tony Giorgio says, not having all those case files stored in his garage. It’s weird driving a car that actually has floorboards.

Not that the amazing Tony G. has been spoiled by the limelight, mind you. His mission alone would keep him humble.

Giorgio -a.k.a. The Guardian Angel (Florida, April 1, 1990) -is a 47-year-old former New Yorker with a lumbering presence and a Rodney Dangerfield voice. He works at Walt Disney World as a reservations clerk -when he isn’t on long-term disability, which he is at the moment, because of a severe case of phlebitis -inflammation of the veins.

He is also the founder and entire full-time staff of the Compassion Children’s Foundation. (Though he now has someone to answer phones three days a week.) Giorgio’s goal is twofold: Don’t let children die because their families don’t have enough money to pay the medical bills. And don’t let families lose everything they have trying.

“There’s such a need out there, it’s insane,” he says. “There are so many kids out there who die because of money. And the general public doesn’t realize it. They think everything is being taken care of.”

It’s not, of course. So Giorgio gets on the phone to browbeat insurance companies into paying up or mortgage companies to back off. He guarantees payments to hospitals that want, for instance, $16,000 up front for life-saving operations.

And he does this despite the fact that the Compassion Children’s Foundation runs on a shoestring budget and, until recently, a rusty Volkswagen Rabbit with 170,000 miles on it.

“I can’t really say how I do it,” Giorgio says. “I will tell you that when I call an insurance company, I won’t talk to the person at the botton. And sometimes it takes a while.”

But since he has gotten some publicity -and lots of donations -Giorgio finds himself in a better position to bargain. For the first time, he’s got $30,000 in the foundation’s general account. NCNB National Bank gave him an office and office furniture. Disney gave him a fax machine and more furniture. Sobik’s Subs had a barbecue sandwich special and raised $6,100. Radio station WWKA (K92-FM) held a penny drive and raised $13,000.

But the biggest surprise was from Chuck and Debbie Hilton, whose son was born premature, weighing 20 ounces. Giorgio helped them through some rough times. So they got a wrecked 1981 Jetta, fixed it up (with some help from their friends), put a cellular phone in front and a stuffed Donald Duck in back, tied a big red bow around it and gave it to Giorgio one day at a surprise luncheon.

“That was pretty neat,” Giorgio says. “It has floorboards.”

His big fund-raising event, Just Desserts, will be Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at Disney’s new Yacht & Beach Club. There will be a big auction, special guests and tastings of the most decadent desserts 10 Central Florida chefs can create Q all for $20. There’s also a VIP cocktail hour for an extra $75. Tickets are available at NCNB, Ticketmaster and from the Deland Jaycees. (For more information, call 422-2600.)

“It’s coming,” Giorgio says, “slowly but surely.”

And sometimes sadly. In one week, three of the children in Giorgio’s caseload died. All he could do was help with funeral arrangements.

“People always ask me how I deal with it,” he says. “I don’t know. I just see the need and that’s it. You really can’t look at it any other way.”

Originally Published: February 3, 1991