The co-owner of Placitas Cafe is recovering at home following a stroke that has left the popular local eatery’s future uncertain and prompted friends to launch a fundraising campaign to help with mounting medical expenses.
John Franklin, who operates the cafe with his wife Christine, suffered a stroke approximately one week ago and was hospitalized before being discharged to continue rehabilitation at home, according to a GoFundMe page created by family friend Virginia Jordan.
The couple runs the cafe without additional staff, and John’s medical condition has left Christine to manage operations alone. The situation has been compounded by the discovery that their health insurance coverage had been cancelled, according to the fundraiser.
“They could really use some help, as you may imagine,” Jordan wrote on the fundraising page. “Medical costs today are beyond astronomical.”
The GoFundMe campaign was established to help offset medical bills and support the couple during John’s recovery. Jordan, who identified herself as a friend of the couple, described the cafe and its owners as integral to the Placitas community.