Gabe Monzo had a good reason for missing the Westmoreland County Airport Authority meeting Tuesday morning.

He was in Pittsburgh, undergoing a life-renewing liver transplant through the UPMC Center for Liver Diseases.

Family and friends reported on social media Tuesday evening that Monzo and a niece, who donated a portion of her healthy liver to her uncle, were both out of surgery and recuperating in the intensive care unit.

“The surgeons tell us everything went great!” according to the post on the Gabes Crew Facebook page.

Monzo, the authority’s executive director, had struggled for months with the draining effects of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a chronic disease that causes liver inflammation and damage.

Family members last month posted on social media that Monzo was in need of a transplant within a year to survive. That surgery became possible when a niece proved to be a match as a living donor.

Authority officials started Tuesday’s meeting with a moment of silence, sending well wishes to Monzo, who was beginning the transplant procedure.

“We just care about Gabe and the operation that’s going on,” authority Chairman Don Rossi said. “It’s a great thing that’s going on at this moment.”

Speaking to the Tribune-Review on Monday night as he prepared for surgery, Monzo said he was feeling confident about the procedure.

“It’s a blessing,” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting it done and feeling better.

“It’s been quite the journey over the past six months. I’ve had a lot of people pulling for me and a lot of well wishes, and I certainly appreciate all of that.”

Monzo advised getting regular blood tests to check for serious conditions, like his, that could otherwise go undiagnosed.

“A lot of people in the country are walking around with it,” he said of the liver disease.

After his diagnosis, doctors put him on a regimen that included restricting his diet, losing weight and controlling his blood pressure.

Dealing with fatigue was a challenge. “When they want your blood pressure down, you get tired,” he said.

Monzo said his initial recovery from the transplant could take two to three weeks.

“A lot of it depends on how I get through it, how I recover and how I do the therapy to get back in the saddle,” he said.

If all goes well, the donated liver will begin growing in Monzo, while his niece’s liver will regenerate.

“She’s a brave soul, that’s for sure,” he said.

Rossi said he believes Monzo will oversee the authority’s annual air show at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, as usual, set for May 25-26. But, he’ll likely make his rounds at the show in a vehicle instead of walking.

Until Monzo is able to return to work, grants director Dwayne Pickels and finance director Linda Brasile are authorized to sign documents required for federal or state funding of projects at the airports in Unity and Rostraver.

Monzo’s family and friends have noted on Facebook that he faces financial challenges along with his recovery — including hefty out-of-pocket costs for medical plan deductibles, co-pays and some anti-rejection medications. They suggested those who want to make a non-tax-deductible gift to assist him send a check to Gabriel Monzo, P.O. Box 400, Youngstown, PA 15696.

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