George Marcello

Recovery Addict (since Sept 11, 1986. I am 32 years CLEAN & SOBER)
CEO STEP BY STEP Charity (since 1996)
Step By Step

Eaddy Mays
Hi, George. What a fascinating story you have to tell. It's particularly divine timing that we should connect; I'm in pre production on a TV series about a particular Italian American man and I would love to hear more about your history and you desire to tell your tale. Please be in touch and let's see where this connection leads. I have a feeling we'll be working together in the future, if you'll forgive my presumptuousness. Best always, Eaddy Eaddy Mays

In 1955, his parents arrived from Italy & George was born at Toronto Western Hospital. He was born with chronic Asthma & almost died many times until he defeated the illness at 7 years old. He went on to excel in school & sports & became an amazing young salesboy selling household products door to door &, bringing home much-needed funds to his family. He was destined to become a sports athlete or a successful businessman.

1968-1986; When he turned thirteen he became inspired by the Wise Guy world in his Italian neighbourhood. He became addicted to Heroin by 16 years old & at that age was arrested for selling Heroin to an undercover RCMP. He began a long stretch of Penitentiary & Jail sentences & was a hardcore Heroin Addict. In 1984, he attempted a brazen escape with co-accused while facing a 20-year sentence for drug charges. He claims God held him back from crossing the door after overpowering jail guards. In 1986 he found his way to a 2-year drug treatment center & changed his life to a humanitarian forever.

1986-1996; He became a well-known Pioneer, Advocate, & Volunteer for Substance Abuse. He filmed his recovery & many others on a daily basis for 10 years. This unique approach won acclaim & support from half of the 12 Step World of Recovery. The other half argued he was breaking 12 Step Traditions

1996 to Present; In 1995 he received a liver transplant. He claims God spoke to him after waking up during the 12 hour surgery. He was given a mission to address the global organ donation crisis & walk across Canada to thank his anonymous organ donor with the Torch Of Life . His amazing feat inspired over 5,000 media stories & by walking a marathon a day for 769 days, he proved organ transplantation was a cure. Millions touched our famous Torch Of Life, including St Pope John Paul 2, who wisely urged George to recruit over 1000 Student Torch Champions throughout the world. He convinced Governments throughout the world to invest almost a billion dollars in organ transplantation He is presently suffering with terminal kidney disease. He is seeking a team to produce a WORLD CLASS film based on the Step By Step journey & his life ( how his troubled life led to Step By Step. he has an admirer willing to finance this film) The film or TV/Web series would show a 100% true compelling, & inspirational story. The journey is entertaining, humorous, & mysterious. We all witness as George falls into a nightmare at 13 years old & by his account, is intervened by God during a prison escape. God shows him the road to enlightenment & George becomes a humanitarian soldier seeking to do what he thinks is God's will. He amazes the world by walking over 12,000 miles across Canada after receiving a liver transplant, proving that transplantation is no longer voodoo medicine, but a real cure. He convinces Governments to invest almost a billion dollars over the years. He carries a Torch Of Life which was anonymously given to him, & millions touch & carry it, including St John Paul II. He blessed it & urged George to pass it to the young people.

2002-2014; George faithfully follows the Pope's wise words, & recruits over 1,000 Student Torch Champions to carry the Torch in their respective communities from Alaska to Washington DC. In 2011 he had to abort the campaign after the bank tries to foreclose his house. He is relentless in trying to resume the World Student Torch Relay but fails after a year of trying.

2011-2014; Through an incredible & unusual set of events, George is led into bringing 3 world-famous organ donor families to Canada, so that they could carry the Torch together. George wants to prove that organ donations not only save lives but they also heal conflicts & bring enemies, religions & countries together. He brings Reg Green whose 7-year-old boy Nicholas, was killed by gangsters in Southern Italy (near Gorge's parent's birthplace) in 1994. Reg & his wife donated his organs to 7 Italians. They became Italy's new saints & hundreds of parks, streets, schools etc.. have been named after Nicholas & a famous Hollywood film called Nicholas' Gift. Reg joined Ismail Khatib in Canada in November 2011. Together they carried the Torch in 5 Canadian Cities. This became known as the Donor Dads. Ismail's son 12-year-old Ahmed was accidentally killed by an Israeli soldier in Jenin, Palestine, in 2005. Ismail & family donated Ahmed's organs to 6 Israeli Children. A film was made Heart Of Jenin & in 2010 it swept up many European film awards. Ismail was being known as the Gandhi of Palestine. Hollywood was preparing a world-class film based on the story, & Nicholas Cage was preparing to play Ismail. In February 2011, production was shut down, supposedly because the film did not have an Israeli narrative. While in Canada Ismail left his 19-year-old son Khaled in George's care. George arranged a 72 city/town Torch tour in Ontario for Khaled. Through a constant interpreter, Khaled shared his story every day for 5 months from January to June 2011. After hearing Ismail's sad tale of the film, George was afraid they would get rejected during the campaign because we did not have an Israeli narrative. Near the beginning an Israeli mother Marsha Gladstone phoned George. She shared how inspired she was after hearing what Khaled was doing & reading George's background. She shared her story about her 19-year-old son Yoni Jesner. He was sadly killed by a Jenin Palestine suicide bomber in Tel Aviv in 2002. Marsha & family donated Yoni's kidney to a teenage Palestinian girl. George asked Marsha to join him & Khaled in Toronto Canada. Marsha & her 19-year-old daughter Yael agreed. We now had an Israeli Narrative. Khaled talked to hundreds of thousands of kids along the way & on his final day in Toronto on June 19, 2011, Maraha & Yael joined Khaled at Toronto City Hall. Together they carried the Torch to the finish line in Downtown Toronto @ Queen's Park. George passed out near the finish line. He was experiencing the beginning of terminal kidney disease. They missed out on getting world coverage. This was a world-class news story & the background was world-class.

2014-PRESENT. George wrote a 5 book series on his life & how it led to the Step by Step journey. He also constructed a shovel ready campaign to resurrect his dying charity by preparing the world student torch relay. In Italy, he prepared the 3 donor mothers, Abla Khatib, Maggie Green & Marsha Gladstone to bring the Torch to Pope Francis to promote Motherhood, Organ donation & honour St John Paul II & all the Student Torch Champions. And while in the Middle East, The Torch will be carried in memory of Ahmed Khatib & Yoni Jesner from Tel Aviv to Jenin. We hope to start a Daisy Chain Kidney swap by having 4 Palestinians donate their kidneys to 4 Israeli & vice versa in 8 kidney transplant event. Just like these similar events were done in other cities.

All these things are possible & within reach. George's prayer before he dies is to have a well-known Director/Producer take on this project of making a world-class film or TV/Web series, based on the 5 books, of George's life, Step By Step journey Khatib's film, Marsha & the Green's journeys as well. On top of it, George has thousands of precious film footage from 1988-to present. He also has a rich admirer willing to finance the entire film production, (as long as he sees a good proposal). What else do you need? This is a proposition that is way overdue & will become a triumph in every way. George believes he has done all these things so that God will close the deal by reviving his charity Step By Step & complete the world student torch relay & all the projects. And a WORLD CLASS FILM that will forever inspire the world.

https://youtu.be/KFvjlpQNwaE

https://youtu.be/i6r_ERW-BqM


https://youtu.be/7UY_GQ6PQfA

https://youtu.be/MdBq2Cqui-0