Help Support Franco with his Heart Transplant Complications

Help Support Franco with his Heart Transplant Complications & Temporarily Close Our Family Restaurant

Dear friends, family, our loyal foodie community, and kind-hearted strangers,

We’re writing to you today with heavy hearts and a deep sense of vulnerability. As Franco’s wife and daughters, we never imagined we’d be in this position, reaching out during what has become the most difficult and uncertain chapter of our lives.

Earlier this year, Franco underwent what was supposed to be a routine pacemaker update. But instead of returning home quickly and getting back to the kitchen he loves, one complication led to another, and our world turned upside down. The pacemaker became infected, triggering a cascade of life-threatening complications. Franco has since endured numerous emergency procedures and has been placed on multiple life-support systems, including a temporary LVAD, while we waited, with hope and fear, for a donor heart.

When that call finally came, we thought it was our miracle. The transplant gave us hope for a new beginning. But shortly after, Franco’s body began to reject the new heart. He has since been diagnosed with Primary Graft Dysfunction (PGD), a severe and rare complication. He is now back on ECMO and an LVAD, and during a recent procedure to place an RVAD, doctors discovered a dangerous blood clot that required immediate surgery.

Through all of this, Franco continues to fight with incredible strength and we are staying right by his side. Because of his critical condition, we’ve had to make the heartbreaking decision to temporarily close our family restaurant, Franco the Foodie. This restaurant has always been more than a business, it’s a part of Franco, a reflection of his love for food and community, and the heartbeat of our family’s livelihood.

We are humbly asking for your support during this time, whether that’s through a donation, sharing our story, or simply keeping Franco in your thoughts and prayers. Funds raised will help us cover the mounting medical bills not fully covered by insurance, pay for temporary housing and travel expenses so we can stay close to the hospital, and provide financial support for our dedicated restaurant staff and basic operating costs while the restaurant remains closed.

Your kindness, no matter the amount or form, means the world to us. We know Franco has touched so many lives with his warmth, his food, and his unwavering passion. Now, we’re doing everything we can to fight for him, just as he’s fought for his dream and his family. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for walking with us through this.

With love and gratitude, Karen (Franco’s wife), Jess & Alexa (Franco’s daughters)