Fundraiser organized for pizza shop owner who collapsed during dinner rush

During a hectic dinner rush taking care of orders Friday night, one of the owners of Middleton House of Pizza collapsed as the restaurant was filled with patrons.

Now, an online fundraiser is being held to help the family of Nick Demakes, who is recovering from the incident.

When Demakes collapsed, his brother, Peter, attempted to revive him. Paramedics arrived and used an automated external defibrillator to help. The restaurant closed early, and much food had to be discarded that night, the fundraiser said.

Nick Demakes is “now on a ventilator and in cardiac arrest hypothermia protocol,” according to the GoFundMe campaign. “Prior to this, Nick was very healthy and active and was not ill or symptomatic of heart problems.”

Nick and Peter operate the restaurant mostly by themselves, with typically only one, maybe two, extra employees on hand. Without Nick, the restaurant has had to remain closed, according to the fundraiser.

“It is impossible for Peter to open the restaurant back up without Nick and will need to stay closed while they brainstorm a way forward to reopen … while Nick recovers,” it said.

As of Wednesday morning, the fundraiser had taken in just over $19,000 with a stated goal of $20,000.

Visit the fundraiser on GoFundMe.

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