A guitarist for a Christian rock band once raised money for others. With no insurance and unable to work, he needs help now.
By JILL ANN PERRINO
Published October 14, 2004
[Times photo: Douglas R. Clifford]
John Lanfranchi, 53, of Tarpon Springs remains in a lot of pain and can't put weight on his legs. "I can stand with my walker, but I keep the weight on my arms." He was hospitalized with a crushed pelvis for two weeks. His wife, Marea, right, was talking with him on his cell phone when the accident happened.
TARPON SPRINGS - As a physical therapy assistant for more than 30 years, John Lanfranchi has worked with many people to help heal their bodies.
And as the lead guitarist and singer for the local Christian rock band Seaven, he has reached out to their souls.
Now Lanfranchi himself needs help, and his friends are rallying on his behalf.
The weekend that Tropical Storm Frances lumbered through the Tampa Bay area, Lanfranchi, 53, was seriously injured in an automobile accident at U.S. 19 and Klosterman Road.
He was hospitalized with a crushed pelvis for two weeks, then sent home. His medical bills total about $50,000, and that doesn't include day-to-day living expenses.
With no medical insurance, no savings and a wife on disability, he has been looking for financial assistance from social service agencies. A naval veteran, he has sought much-needed physical therapy from Veterans Affairs.
Although Lanfranchi said he has had little luck with the agencies, his friends have organized three benefits to help his family: a fundraising cookout in Clearwater on Sunday, a car show in Palm Harbor on Oct. 22 and a benefit concert in Dunedin on Oct. 23.
Lanfranchi was working as a physical therapy assistant for an agency on an as-needed basis before his accident. He enjoyed the autonomy and better pay this afforded him, though it left him without health insurance. Business was picking up right before his accident on Labor Day.
That day, Lanfranchi was a passenger in a 1993 Toyota Corolla that his son was driving to a friend's home. With traffic lights not working properly after the storm, their car was broadsided as it made a left turn. Lanfranchi recalls seeing the other car coming at him.
His wife, Marea, 48, was talking with him on his cell phone when the accident happened.
"I heard the collision, screaming and then nothing," she said. "I ran out without even stopping to put on my shoes."
Knowing the direction her family was heading and with help from 911, she soon located the crash.
While his son, Roger, 18, suffered a few cuts, Lanfranchi was badly injured. He was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa by ambulance because Bayflite was grounded because of the weather, he said.
Six weeks later, he remains in a lot of pain and can't put weight on his legs.
"I can stand with my walker, but I keep the weight on my arms," Lanfranchi said. Mostly, he stays off his legs.
Lanfranchi had seen in his work how an accident could change someone's life. But learning it from his own experience was something different.
"I heard horror stories all the time, being in the business," he said. "You feel empathy, but until it happens to you . . ."
Nobody knows how long it will take him to heal, said Dr. David Hicks, Lanfranchi's longtime family doctor.
"It may be six to eight months before John has a reasonable level of activity," Hicks said. "And he may never fully resume his normal activities."
That life has included playing guitar in Seaven at coffeehouses, churches and community events throughout the area. He toured Atlanta with the band three years ago and has watched the band's Sept. 1 tribute song Canyon of the Souls bring comfort "all over the world" as fans passed it from person to person, he said. Proceeds from the recording were donated to firefighters in New York.
Lanfranchi describes the band's music, which consists of all original songs, as "rock with a positive message," adding that it's lively enough and loud enough that "you won't go to sleep."
Friends say Lanfranchi has done a lot to help others and hope the community comes to his aid now. Jerry Gabardi, Lanfranchi's bandmate in Seaven, and Tommy Douthat, a fellow member of the Prodigal Sons Motorcycle Club, have both arranged fundraisers.
"John is a good guy with a great heart," said Gabardi, Seaven's bass guitar player and a captain with Oldsmar Fire Rescue. "I feel terrible about what has happened. He has helped so many in the community, giving of himself and his time to the ministry. Now it's time to give back to him."
TO HELP
Friends have organized three fundraisers on behalf of John Lanfranchi.
SUNDAY: From 4-7 p.m. , friend Tommy Douthat will hold an open house and cookout at 1462 S Ridgelane Circle, Clearwater. Minimum $10 donation. Call Douthat at (727) 446-6593.
OCT. 22: The Night Riders of Palm Harbor evening car show will benefit Lanfranchi. The show will be at the Palm Harbor Wendy's, 34092 U.S. 19 N, just north of Nebraska Avenue, Palm Harbor.
OCT. 23: Lanfranchi's band Seaven and others will play a benefit concert 7-10 p.m. at the First Christian Church, 400 San Christopher Drive, Dunedin. The concert is free, but an offering will be taken. Call (727) 733-4804. Donations also can be made in the name of John Lanfranchi to North Lake Family Church, P.O. Box 1943, Tarpon Springs, 34688.
