Sayville Dealership Event Benefits Local Teen Battling Cancer

Sayville Ford is donating all the proceeds from a barbeque event during its Quick Lane Grand Opening on Saturday to help Sachem high school student battling Chronic Mylogenous Leukemia.

The free event, which will take place at the dealership on Sunrise Highway in Sayville, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., includes the display of the Quick Lane sponsored NHRA Funny Car, giveaways, a DJ, raffles and prizes.

Sayville Ford supplies the food and its employees and local volunteers provide the BBQ helpers and cooks. 

The dealership then donates all proceeds to local charities and organizations and this year chose Nick Franzi because of his and his family’s heroic efforts at this trying time.

Franzi was diagnosed with CML, a relatively uncommon type of cancer afflicting about 50 children in the U.S. each year, two years ago and doctors hoped he was on the remission path due to drug therapy.

But at this point the 11th grader has developed a rare cellular mutation that is untreatable and his only hope is a bone marrow transplant. Last year, many bone marrow drives were held for the 16-year-old but no perfect match has been found.

He initially planned to undergo an experimental bone marrow transplant at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, with his mother serving as ahalf-matched donor.

But it was then determined his mother had a severe heart condition that required immediate open heart surgery and was no longer an approved donor for her son. Franzi’s 19-year-old sister than became the donor but the transplant effort failed.

Franzi is now currently undergoing radiation and another round of chemotherapy in preparation for a second bone marrow transplant using his father's half matched cells.

The funds being raised at the barbeque on Saturday will help the family deal with the mountain of medical and financial challenges brought on by the illness. Donations can also be sent to:

The Nicholas Orlando Franzi Foundation

For Children with Cancer

P.O. Box 201

Lake Grove NY 11755