Chef Allen's reconstruction & recovery fund

Having closed the restaurant – Travelers Thali House – in June 2019, Allen was finally able to schedule the surgeries he needed to reconstruct his digestive system. As many of you know, Allen was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer a couple years after opening the restaurant. Two surgeries and months of chemotherapy took a huge toll not just on him, but on the business. After more than five years, Allen is cancer-free and considered ‘cured.’  Though we kept our doors open, with the help of friends, family and our devoted customers, having gone through bankruptcy, and without access to credit, operating the restaurant became crisis-driven ultimately impossible to sustain.

We struggled for years trying to make the business profitable, but when we were offered money to make way for another restaurant to move in, we saw an opportunity to pay off the debts we had been accumulating. The lion’s share of the money went to the landlords, who had allowed us to remain even when we could not pay full rent. In the end there was really nothing left. Allen and Leon have scraped by in the months since then, making chai and selling wholesale teas and spices, but medical expenses for his recent surgery already far exceed any means they have to pay for them.

Allen spent 15 days in the hospital after surgery in November/December 2019, unable to work and generate income. In about a month he will go back for another final surgery which will enable him to live without a colostomy bag. Since that will be a new year, he will need to meet the deductible again before his insurance pays much. We don’t know the actual amounts yet, but they will certainly be a lot. We are asking for help to pay medical expenses not covered by insurance, and to help Allen and Leon pay their bills – mortgage and utilities, etc. – for a couple months, until Allen is well enough to return to work.

We are grateful for any support you can offer. We know too well that many of our dearest friends have little to share, and we understand. We are as grateful for your moral support as for any amount of money you could contribute. It is humbling to feel so vulnerable and needy, but we all know the madness of medical bills and insurance coverage these days, which can easily crush people trying to get the care they need. Thank you for your consideration, your love, and your support. It means the world to us.