Chef Paco needs our help

Hi, My name is Alba Morales, and I am fundraising for the Frola family, who are going through a rough time. If you know Paco, you know he is a funny, caring and wonderful human being. He helped his Radburn community in times of need during the COVID lockdowns. He is an amazing chef, father, friend and neighbor.  

This is in Jaime’s words what they are going through:  

On Thursday, May 12 the most unbelievable and life changing event occurred. One that I will never forget and with an outcome that I will always be grateful for. Paco and his #1 fishing buddy, Gregory Simon , set out for a day of kayak bass fishing on Lake Swartswood, NJ. A regular occurrence - this duo competed as a team, The Bass Assassins, last fishing season. They had just gotten started on the water when Paco let Greg know he was going to move to a different spot, just about 40 feet away. Once there, Paco pulled up his motor and that’s the last thing he remembers. Just a minute later Gregory looked over to see Paco’s kayak upside down and didn’t see him. He called out but there was no response. Gregory found Paco with his head trapped under the kayak, his life jacket inflated and pushing him up against the bottom side. It couldn't have been more than 10 seconds that he was under water. Gregory pulled Paco out from under the kayak and on to land, shouting at him, slapping him… trying everything he could to get him to wake up. Paco remained unconscious so Gregory called 911 and began CPR. For 12 minutes he continued to administer CPR, later telling us that he could hear the bones cracking under the weight of his hands. Thankfully, that meant he was doing it right. Meanwhile, a couple from the other side of the lake had heard Gregory’s shouts of distress and came over to see what was happening. They pulled the boat in to help and went to go look for the nearest house address so they could tell the EMS where to go, but by that time 911 had pinged Gregory’s cell phone and the fire chief arrived with the EMS. Up to this moment Gregory had kept Paco alive. The EMT’s then took over, shocking him 4 times. They were in the process of shocking him when Sussex County State Troopers, Kevin Foulds, Anthony Pall, and Julio Rodriguez arrived. Gregory left to lead the troopers through the woods to the remote area where they were located. Once stabilized, together this crew of a friend, EMS, state troopers, and random strangers from the lake got Paco onto their boat, across the water and to the awaiting ambulance on the other side. He was transported to Newton Hospital where he was then airlifted to Morristown Medical Center. On the airlift, for the first time, Paco started to regain consciousness and was able to speak his name and begin to communicate. Later, a trooper told me that when he started speaking no one could understand and they were worried… until they realized he was speaking in Italian. When my dear friend Caroline and I arrived at the ER in Morristown we found Paco surrounded by a team of doctors. He was cold, wet, and ALIVE. He was able to communicate both English and Italian with staff and after multiple tests they found that his heart had no blockage, he had no spinal or neck injuries, and his brain was functioning normally. A few broken ribs and sternum is a small price to pay for a life gained. The trauma doctor told us that this was one of those rare occurrences that everything went right. That every step taken along the way was done correctly. That if any one of those steps had gone differently we would have a different outcome. It’s truly a miracle. What we know now is that Paco suffered from cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs suddenly and often without warning. It is triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat. With its pumping action disrupted, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs and other organs. Seconds later, a person loses consciousness and has no pulse. Death occurs within minutes if the victim does not receive treatment. If Gregory Simon had not been there, had he not reacted the way he did, Paco would not be here with us today. For that I am eternally grateful and there are simply not enough words to express my gratitude. We have been given such a gift and I will never take it for granted. I am emotionally overwhelmed by the amount of love and support that we have received these last few days. The State Park Police stayed behind at the scene to recover Paco’s kayak and all of his belongings. The Sussex County State Troopers have called every day to check on Paco. 

 There are too many people to thank and I’m sure I will miss something here, but please know that every message, text, call and check-in is like a hug on our hearts, even if I’m not able to respond at the moment. I don’t know half of what happened behind the scenes as I did not lift a finger and my family was taken care of. Our kids have been picked up, loved on, taken to their activities, fed and cared for without question. My house was cleaned, our zoo was taken care of. Caro Sturm-Reganato dropped everything to be with me and managed that whole first day by my side, communicating on my behalf, updating friends and family. Alba Si, Gregory’s wife, had to be the one to call with this news and, although I know that was difficult, I’m thankful it came from a friend. Alba Lucia Morales Jimenez and Jon Carter for making sure our family is going to be okay for the next few months. It’s hard for me to accept that kind of help but the burden that it will lift is unmeasurable. I know a fraction of what you’ve all done and I’m forever grateful. Jen Cohen and Alia Lesser, you’ve gained a couple of kids the last few days and didn’t even blink. Callie Carter, Eve Bolla, Zilia Medina, Emily Avidon, Sara Antonson Suehr, our amazing and magical Aberdeen crew. Steve Barth and Erik Thorson for driving over an hour away in the pitch black to find Paco's car and trailer and then retrieving his kayak from the barracks. The people of Radburn, our Long Island family Mia Price and Al Notarnicola, Ami Price-Coyle. My family Craig Fisher, Heather Heartwell Fisher, Brad Fisher, Carissa Fisher. Tina Wallingford for your constant check-ins and long distance love and support. Paco’s family and friends in Italy, Dario Frola, Sergio Frola, Alessandro Frola, and Carmine Frola, we love and miss you. To every single person that has helped in any way shape or form, we are so grateful. Life can change in a minute. We have a long road to recovery but if you know Paco, you know that this is the most hard headed, stubborn, self proclaimed pain in the ass man there is and he won't let this take him down. He is also the most generous, loving soul I know and is a true gift to us all. We are so lucky. Thank you.