Frank Lanza, 87, had enjoyed decades of good health when his car was rear-ended at a stop sign in December 2016. “I walked away but my car was destroyed,” he said. Frank suffered serious whiplash and developed severe arthritis, at one point losing the use of his left arm and both hands. For a man with a 65-year career as an art educator and painter, this was no small loss. Once an avid cook, Frank also lost all interest in eating–likely due to the medications he must take–and he lost more than 40 pounds in seven months. As it happened, Frank had a longtime friendship with fellow painter Stacey Mendez, wife of Our Breadcrumbs founder Mike Mendez, and Mike stepped in to serve as Frank’s health advocate. “Mike helped me find the right doctor,” said Frank, “and now I have use of my hands again.” Recently, Frank decided to donate his own health records to Our Breadcrumbs, adding, “When you lose a loved one, it’s even more important to donate their records to help doctors make better decisions about treating their own patients.
“Many people have similar health problems, but doctors only have average numbers about what works and what doesn’t. With Our Breadcrumbs, so many more people would benefit from unedited, real-life information.”
–Frank Lanza, Painter, 87