Hospitalized EMT Making Slow Gains As Medical Bills Mount

BERKELEY, NJ — As emergency medical technician Megan Franzoso continues to slowly recover following an unexplained medical event that landed her in the hospital nearly a month ago, friends and colleagues are working to raise money to help the Toms River woman with her medical bills.

A spaghetti dinner fundraiser will be held Sunday, Oct. 21 at the Bayville Fire Company firehouse on Route 9 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. It's being hosted by the Berkeley Township EMS and Berkeley Township PBA 237. Franzoso is employed by Berkeley Township EMS.

Franzoso, 28, has been hospitalized since Sept. 14, when her heart stopped for 45 minutes. She has been at Temple University Medical Center in Philadelphia.

According to updates posted by family on a GoFundme campaign, she is making "slow but positive improvements," and the family is making plans to move her to a long-term rehabilitation facility. There are plans to implant a pacemaker/defibrillator to prevent another cardiac episode, so the medical expenses continue to grow.

"During Megan's 45-minute-long cardiac arrest, she suffered severe hypoxia, resulting in brain damage. At this point there is no further information available as to if or what a potential recovery could be or permanency of damage. Megan is awake and breathing, but not responding," one of the updates said. The extent of the damage is not clear, and an Oct. 1 update said the doctors treating Franzoso are "hopeful for improvement. Other than her pacemaker, her age and general health should help her tackle the long recovery ahead of her.," the update said. Physical therapists are working with her, and "Each passing day she is seemingly slightly more alert and following small, simple commands."

The family continues to ask that people not call or text but check the GoFundme for updates.

READ MORE: Toms River EMT Helps Others. Now She's Fighting To Live

Tickets for the spaghetti dinner are $15 and can be purchased in advance or at the door. Those wishing to buy them in advance can send an email to Zach Kolas at kolas@btpdnj.org. Dinner includes spaghetti, meatballs, salad, Italian bread, dessert, coffee and tea. T-shirts that will feature a doodle drawn by Franzoso also will be sold at the event. There additionally will be a gift auction and a 50/50 drawing.

Those wishing to donate gift baskets should contact Kolas by email or by calling 908-278-5113.

A wine and cheese social fundraiser for Franzoso is set for noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Lamp Post Inn on Route 9 in Pine Beach. Read more here.

There are two additional ways to donate to help Franzoso: A PayPal account has been set up (click here), or donations can be made directly to the Megan Franzoso Fund at any local TD Bank, the family said.

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Photo via GoFundme, a Patch partner