A FAMILY OF FIGHTERS:
How The Tropia Family Stands Strong in the Face of Illness by MEAGAN DELISLE
Paolo and Stephanie Tropia’s lives once revolved around their family and their love of horses. As the owners of a boutique hunter jumper training and sales facility, Clear Round Show Jumpers, in Magnolia, Texas, the Tropias are no strangers to hard work. But, for the past several years, the Tropias have had to balance the labor of love of their family business with, quite literally, the fight for their lives. Diagnosed at age 43 Paolo was battling year two of kidney failure when his wife Stephanie was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer. Despite every hardship life has thrown at them, the family has refused to give in and continues to fight each and every day in hopes of finding Paolo a much-needed kidney donation for the chance to regain their once normal, busy and rewarding lives. Phelps Sports sat down the resilient couple to share their story. THE FOUNDATION OF A FAMILY Horses have been a part of the Tropia family’s foundation since day one when a horse shopping trip in Europe brought Paolo and Stephanie together. Stephanie happened upon Paolo’s place of employment to try a collection of horses for sale. Their connection was immediate, and it became clear that the two shared much more in common than their love of horses. “I really liked him from the beginning because he is a very quiet, nice, and super friendly guy,” reflected Stephanie. “I wanted to help him [at the farm], but he wouldn’t let me help. He was very polite. After that, there was a neighborhood party he was invited to and I joined him. We ended up talking until five in the morning, and neither of us even knew what time it was or how long we sat there enjoying each other’s company.” After Stephanie returned to her new home-base in the United States, the couple nurtured their relationship longdistance for some time. Late-night phone calls and trips back and forth across continents eventually led to a big decision: Paolo packed up his bags to join Stephanie in the U.S. so the two could pursue a life together, and they were married just a year later. But Paolo was earning more than a wife with his 16 •THJA NEWS
new marriage; he was gaining a family. Previously married, Stephanie had a young daughter at the time, Dominique, who welcomed Paolo to the family with open arms. “Dominique and I were living alone in America when Paolo came, and after we got married, Dominique asked Paolo if he would adopt her because she wanted a father in her life, and she liked him. He said yes and legally adopted her.” The Tropia family continued to grow with the addition of their now 14-year-old daughter Aurelia and the establishment of their 26-acre farm in Texas, Clear Round Show Jumpers. With a dedicated group of students, a steady influx of sale horses, and consistent results at horse shows, the Tropia family were living a picture-perfect life. TRADING HORSES FOR HOSPITAL ROOMS It was during a yearly doctor’s appointment that the Tropia family’s world would be turned upside down. A routine test result revealed Paolo’s kidneys were only functioning at 25% capacity. “As a child, Paolo was exposed to a childhood illness which the doctors believe is what caused his kidney failure,” shared Stephanie. “So, it wasn’t bad lifestyle decisions or anything else as an adult that caused it. And slowly, the kidney started functioning less and less. It was really a shock. We were told that he would maybe have another two years before he would need to get on dialysis. It was really tough to hear that.” Paolo was able to hold out to that two-year mark, but in September of 2017, he had to begin the grueling process of dialysis. He started with hemodialysis, which required him to report to the dialysis center three times a week to receive the four-hour a day treatment. Eventually, Paolo was able to transfer to in-home dialysis, and while that improved his quality of life somewhat by reducing his time at the dialysis center, he was now required to perform dialysis every day, and he was extremely uncomfortable. Despite the discomfort, Paolo still reported to the barn each day to ride and help out as much as he could.
But as many people who struggle with kidney issues know, dialysis isn’t a long-term solution, and it can be an imperfect treatment, Stephanie shared. “It isn’t something that you can do forever and stay alive. It will destroy your organs. That is why you wait on a kidney donor —that is your only option.” Paolo has been on the transplant list for three years now, and a loving member of their barn family stepped up to help the Tropia family by donating her own, but unfortunately, that hope was short-lived when it was discovered her kidneys were not viable for donation, so back to the transplant list they went. And then, in 2019, the family received another blow: Stephanie was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer. “I got the whole thing: the chemotherapy and the radiation,” said Stephanie. “After that, I had two operations, and then I had six more months of chemotherapy. Paolo worked through this the whole time, and I worked when I could. I had to help him. Only when I was in the hospital with the operations was I unable to help. Otherwise, while I was on chemo, I just didn’t give up. We are fighters. We just don’t give up.” Because of the grueling nature of Stephanie’s cancer battle, Paolo temporarily took his name off of the organ transplant list so he could care for his wife and daughter, and uphold their business at the farm. Amazingly, one year later, Stephanie is now cancer-free and back to work, so Paolo has resumed his place on the transplant list. A COMMUNITY STAPLE Through all of the ups and downs, the Tropia family has worked hard to maintain a sense of normalcy in the barn. With clients to cater to and sales horses to campaign on top of their regular daily barn chores, they established a balance that works for them. With the Great Southwest Equestrian Center just a short drive away, they are able to maintain a regular show schedule thanks to the year-round shows offered by Southbound Show Management. Patrick Rodes of SSM shared, “I have known and worked with the Tropia
