Melissa Gorga Asks for "Extra Prayers" for Nonno on Her Birthday

Teresa Giudice's dad, Giacinto Gorga (aka Nonno), has struggled with his health over the last few years. It's something his family, including his daughter-in-law Melissa Gorga, has been quite open about.

And as Melissa celebrates her birthday while self-quarantining (more on that in the clip above), she's asking her fans to keep him in mind as a gift to her.

"Thanks so much for all your Birthday wishes. What I really want from all of you is a couple extra prayers for this guy. He’s the best soul,"  The Real Housewives of New Jersey mom shared on Instagram alongside a photo of her lookalike daughter Antonia hanging with her grandpa.

While Melissa didn't get into specifics about his current health, over the last several years, Giacinto has faced several hospitalizations, including in the last few months. Teresa even wrote about her father's health issues in her 2017 book release, Standing Strong.

"He goes in and out of the hospital all the time, a couple times a year, with pneumonia, and it's sad and it's scary every single time. But he always comes out of it. And he has his machines and his stuff; his lungs are not the best. He fights off sickness a lot," Melissa said in The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 10 After Show.

Over the weekend, Teresa shared a throwback photo of her dad, adding in the caption, "What I love the most of it is my Dad’s smile."

In a 2018 interview with The Daily Dish, Teresa opened up about the precautions her family has taken in the last few years around her dad, who lives with her and her four daughters. "That's the thing, none of us can be sick around him because he catches it right away. We're constantly always washing our hands," Teresa explained. "Like when you have a baby and you make sure everything's clean, that's how you have to be with him because he gets sick easily."

You can hear more from Melissa about her father-in-law's health issues in the clip below.

Does Teresa Giudice's Dad Nono Drink Hot Sauce From the Refrigerator All the Time?

For the latest, most accurate information on coronavirus, go to the World Health Organization (WHO) website.