A Brooklyn restaurant owner helped save the life of a customer by finding him a kidney donor. Mark Iacono, owner of the beloved wood-fired-pizzeria Lucali, was desperate to help after learning that his patron and pal Theo Alano, was struggling with end-stage kidney disease and needed a new one. He reached out to his 245-thousand Instagram followers with a plea for a donor, and his post made all the difference.
Alano had been diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease in 2022, but before he could start dialysis, he was rushed to the emergency room, where doctors said he was in kidney failure and he was near death. Dialysis saved him and he continued the treatment, while praying for a miracle, because he needed a kidney transplant, but there was a 10-year wait list.
Luckily for Alano, Rusty Rastello saw Iacono’s post and was inspired to try to become a donor by his uncle, who had donated a kidney to his brother. Rastello was tested and found to be a perfect match and in August, the men had a successful surgery. Now both men are doing well post-op, have become friends and recently got together to celebrate over a pizza at Lucali. “He did something so selfless,” Alano says. “I don’t know how I got to be so lucky.”
Source: NY POST