Fundraiser to benefit heart transplant patient from Syracuse

WHAT:           Benefit for John Stapleton of Liverpool, who is waiting for a new heart

WHEN:           1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 4

WHERE:        The Locker Room, 528 Hiawatha Blvd E., Syracuse

TICKETS:      $10 advance, $15 at door; (315) 289-3068

An April 4 fundraiser will assist a Liverpool resident who has been hospitalized in Rochester since last spring as he waits for a new heart.

John Stapleton was diagnosed in 2007 with cardiomyopathy, or enlargement of the heart, which was caused by a virus. A supervisor at SYSCO Foods, he collapsed at work one night and was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital, then transferred to the University of Rochester Medical Center to be cared for by URMC heart failure and transplant specialists. He has been hospitalized on and off for the past several years, most recently being admitted again last June to the University of Rochester Medical Center. He will remain at URMC until a donor organ is available for transplant.

Because Stapleton’s native heart cannot pump properly on its own, it is currently being assisted by an artificial heart device that was implanted in 2007. It makes him somewhat mobile, allowing him to regularly walk the hospital’s hallways in an effort to remain as healthy as possible prior to transplant.

The fundraiser at the Locker Room will include silent auctions, prize raffles and 50/50 raffles. Food is being donated by SYSCO Foods. Entertainment will be provided by Big Guy DJ/Karaoke. Coordinators, including Stapleton’s sister, Cathy Santocki, hope to raise funds to help with his medical expenses. They also hope to raise awareness about organ donation.

For more information, contact Santocki at (315) 289-3068 or rcs082903@aol.com. Cash donations may be mailed to: Benefit of John Stapleton, c/o M&T Bank, 507 S. Main St., North Syracuse, N.Y. 13212.