News
Friends In Need
Lanfranks lead fund drive for Umberto Restaurant Family
By Ryan Fennell
FAIR HAVEN - Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system often causing chronic and often disabling symptoms.
While MS is most commonly diagnosed in individuals between the ages of 20 and 50, there are approximately 8,000 to 10,000 children under the age of 18 who have been diagnosed with the disease in the U.S. Anthony "Tony" Fabbri, 17, is one of those children.
Fabbri, whose family owns Umberto Restaurant in Fair Haven, was diagnosed with the disease when he was 13.
Shortly after Fabbri's diagnosis, his aunt, Mary Fabbri, was reading an article about the MS Society's Women on the Move Luncheon, an educational and fundraising luncheon.
"I made phone calls so that we could donate something from here (Umberto) in (Tony's) name," Mary Fabbri said.
Mary and Tony Fabbri were invited to the luncheon to help educate on the reality of children contracting the disease.
As a result, the Fabbri's were introduced to Tindra Lanfrank and her daughter, Michele Lanfrank and the two families became very close.
"Most people think that MS doesn't hit children," Mary said. "(Lanfrank) herself, doing these luncheons, had no idea children could get it, but it happens."
Recently, the Fabbris had a lapse in health insurance coverage and were in a position where it was becoming too difficult to keep up with Tony's medical costs.
Michele Lanfrank learned of the difficulties facing the Fabbri's and decided she would do what she could to help.
"I found out they needed help financially due to the economy," Lanfrank said. "The whole family works and is supported financially through Umberto. When I found out they were having struggles with health insurance and day to day bills, I reached out and sent an email to personal friends asking if they could help the Fabbri family because not only is Tony an amazing young guy who helps others, the Fabbri family, through Umberto, has serviced the community for years every chance they have. They donate to charity, they give platters of food, and they host events. Whatever the Fabbri family can do they do."
Through Lanfrank's efforts she was able to raise over $15,000 to help offset the cost of Tonyi's medical treatment. According to Lanfrank that number is still climbing.
"I was looking to raise a small amount just to help out the family and then an anonymous donor came back and said I will match anything you raise up to $5,000," Lanfrank said. "That obviously motivated me and I was able to raise $15,000 and still going."
Lanfrank also reached out to Ohan Najarian, grandson of Kevork Hovnanian, who then reached out to his network of contacts, which resulted in monetary donations as well as gifts for Tony for Christmas.
"It's overwhelming," Mary said. "It's hard to describe to thank all these people. When you lose health insurance and he's in the hospital and you only find out two days before, you don't know where to go and you reach out to one person and that person makes a domino effect. It's overwhelming."
According to Mary, she had received news from the school nurse that Tony was not feeling well. Mary Fabbri decided that Tony needed medical attention and didn't know where to turn. She called Tindra Lanfrank who in turn called the MS Society's New Jersey Metro Chapter as well as her daughter Michele. "I made one phone call," Mary said. "I do not know how to thank all these people. The gratitude I have for them is unbelievable."
According to Mary the financial difficulties stemmed from the drastic downturn in the economy.
"The economy died and it hit the business really hard," Mary said. "People see us here everyday smiling and serving them and don't realize we are really hurting from the economy. When you had health insurance for all these years and then it's gone you don't know where to turn."
"MS is a horrible disease," she said. "It affects everybody. You'd be shocked how many people have it and look fine. When you hear the word MS you think wheelchairs and all that other stuff but new medications coming are letting these people be able to have normal lives." Tony called it, "Life with accommodations."
Tony was somewhat humbled by the outpouring of support from the community.
"At first I was a little embarrassed," Tony said. "I felt like we were a charity but I was like these people know me and they know we don't take the money for ourselves. We put it toward insurance and whatever we need to do to help us survive and see another day."
He said that he is grateful to everyone that has some out in support of him and his family and thanked the MS Society as well as his doctor, Dr. Richard I. Sultan of Jersey Shore Medical Center Pediatrics Department. "Without (Sultan)'s help I wouldn't be walking around," Tony said.
He participates in the yearly MS Walk and has named his team Team Sultan after his doctor.
The MS Society has stepped in and helped the Fabbris navigate through the system in order to qualify Tony for state run insurance in order to keep up with his medical costs. "Because of the economy and the exorbitant cost of health insurance there was some concern about paying some bills so we've worked with the family to get (Tony) qualified through a state-run insurance program so he can get health insurance for his MS," said Michael Elkow, president of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society New Jersey Metro Chapter. "At the same time, because the family was putting money toward his medical costs, there were questions of whether there'd be anything left for Christmas."
The MS Society reached out and was able to give Tony tickets to five separate New Jersey Devils Hockey games in donated executive boxes and corporate seats with food included. "The key thing though is we're working with him getting qualified through the state. A lot of times people just don't know about the funding they qualify for, so our case managers help navigate through the system so they can get all the assistance that's due to them. That's what we do every single day of the year. Hopefully we helped him in the long term and helped in the short term so he can have a nice Christmas," Elkow said.
Umberto has been a Fair Haven establishment for 26 years with the Fabbri family taking over the business 19 years ago. The Fabbri's consider the restaurant their home, noting that both Tony and his cousin Anthony grew up in the restaurant. "Losing this business would be like losing my house with all the memories," Tony said.
Mary echoed that sentiment and went further to call the community part of their family. She pointed to the various pictures of children and people in the community that she frames and displays in the restaurant. "We're family to all these people that come in. They know us. This is what Umberto's is. We're family to people that come in."
Umberto has been on the giving end to help people for many years.
According to Mary, Umberto rents out its dining hall to nonprofit organizations at no charge and does not charge tax on the food provided.
Last year Umberto hosted the MS Walk kickoff party and will be hosting again this year in January.
"We don't charge for the room and we don't charge tax (for charities)." Mary said. "We try to give to the community what we can."
Tony pointed out that Umberto is a big supporter of both Red Bank Regional High School and Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School as well as the various elementary and middle schools in the community.
Umberto's largest donation usually comes in the form of a gift certificate that is good for one pizza and one pitcher or bottle of soda per month for an entire year.
"That's our biggest donation for different charities or people trying to raise money," Mary Fabbri said.
The Fabbris are offering a free pizza and soda to those that have donated to help with the health insurance costs.
"We don't know how to thank these people, we really don't," Mary said. "Words just don't seem enough."
In a special thank you to Michele Lanfrank, who can't have gluten products, Mary purchased several gluten-free brown rice pizza shells for personal sized pizzas for those that must have glutenfree products. Mary Fabbri said she is still working on a way to provide a full-sized gluten-free pizza but hasn't mastered it yet because of the special preparation necessary. Umberto, 583 River Rd., is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m on Sunday.
