GLADSTONE PARK — Family and friends of a beloved chef and restaurant owner are raising money for his recovery after he was critically injured in a car crash last month.
Jaime Cianca, owner of Tuxpan Mexican Grill at 5540 N. Milwaukee Ave. #1227, was riding his motorcycle at Central and Touhy Avenues in suburban Skokie last month when someone driving a car slammed into him, according to his family and police.
Sgt. Brandi Shelton of Skokie Police said the crash is still under investigation, and no other details were available.
Cianca was taken to the hospital and underwent surgery, but suffered brain damage, said his wife, Mary Colin.
The family, who has lived in Gladstone Park for over 18 years and owned the grill for 12 years, is asking the community for help paying Cianca’s hospital and rehab costs. With no health insurance and an unclear timeline of when Cianca will be better, the family needs all the help it can get, Colin said.
A GoFundMe was created last month by his brother-in-law, Anthony Longo, and has raised over $20,000 of its $95,000 goal.
The family is grateful for the support so far, but Colin said the medical bills could still pile up. Cianca has extensive injuries and is still in the ICU, his wife said. He is breathing on his own, but occasionally using a ventilator. He still cannot speak or walk and began physical and speech therapy this week, Colin said.
“He’s stable, but we are taking it one day at a time,” Colin said. “It’s a sad and crazy accident. It’s been changing the lives of everyone around him. The kids are devastated.”
During the pandemic, the couple struggled financially and had to cut some expenses. Health insurance was the first to go, Colin said.
“It’s tough ’cause now we need it, but it’s hard to pay for medical insurance if we don’t have the money,” she said. “But he is smiling through this — we talk about our house, our plants … He knows who we are; now he just has to recover.”
Credit: GoogleWith a passion for cooking and serving the community, Cianca opened Tuxpan Mexican Grill 12 years ago and has gained a steady following for his food.
The couple, who have three children, also operate Fiesta en Tuxpan in Skokie but have temporarily closed it since the crash, Colin said. The Chicago location is still open, thanks to the “amazing” team running the restaurant, Colin said.
The couple has donated to food to various neighborhood causes and events, such as delivering meals to first responders at the Jefferson Park (16th) District, health care workers in the European Uunion during the height of the pandemic and fundraisers at Resurrection College Prep, where one of their daughters went to school, she said.
In a message to Block Club, Longo said the generosity of the community has been tremendous, especially for a man who came to this country with “little in his pocket” but worked hard to open two businesses and start a family.
“He never once thought of himself,” Longo said. “All the years we’ve been family, I’ve never known him even once to be petty, or mean or raise his hand against another person … All of these wonderful people who are coming to his aid right now will be rewarded.”
He also shared an update to Cianca’s movement on the fundraiser page Tuesday.
“Jamie has moved both hands now, and his left shoulder,” Longo wrote. “Yesterday, he mouthed words that his daughter understood. Today he stuck out his tongue for a picture to be funny. He’s fighting his way back.”
The family expects Cianca to be in the hospital for another three weeks, but the timeline is fluid and his condition changes every day, Colin said.
While life has lately been a difficult balance between managing a business and tending to her husband, she is thankful the crash wasn’t worse and is “letting God guide us,” she said.
“He is doing amazing, he is strong,” Colin said. “You can tell he really wants to live. He is working to survive and be on this journey.”
Listen to “It’s All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast”: