Pizzeria to the rescue

Papa Murphy's to donate earnings to Camas H1N1 survivor

BY MAT BOES of the VBJ

Clark County residents can help out a hard-struck family simply by grabbing a pie at Papa Murphy's two Camas locations on Tuesday, March 16.

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"A lot of people are looking to give, but can feel overwhelmed by the amount of options or the time commitment," said Jenn Lovelace, marketing manager for Papa Murphy's. "This is an opportunity to turn a normal dinner routine into something that impacts a life in your local community."

The life Lovelace is referring to belongs to Camas resident Tom Trautman, one of a relatively few number of patients in the state to feel the most devastating impacts of the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu.

According to Lovelace, Trautman's illness was compounded by pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, a sometimes-fatal lung condition. According to the World Health Organization, ARDS has been a contributing factor in many of the more than 7,820 deaths related to H1N1 worldwide.

"He got so sick the doctors gave him a 10 percent chance of living," said Cecil Palmer, Trautman's brother-in-law and pastor at Living Hope Church in Clark County. "The doctor said to me, ‘When people get this sick, they just die.'"

Though Palmer called Trautman's recovery ‘miraculous,' he said the longtime Georgia Pacific Paper Mill employee has a long road to full recovery. Having already undergone 25 surgeries, 10 CT scans and a medically-induced coma, Trautman still has a year of rehabilitation ahead - a year that he will not be able to fulfill his function as sole breadwinner for his wife and five children.

"We saw a need in our community and knew that we had the resources to partner with this family and do our part to help make a difference," Lovelace said.

Vancouver-based Papa Murphy's has stepped up to assist the family with their ongoing struggle. According to Lovelace, the March 16 event will donate all proceeds to the Trautman family from both their 8th Avenue and 192nd Avenue Camas locations.

Founded in 1982, Papa Murphy's has over 1,200 franchise locations, including 12 in Clark County. The chain has gained national prominence as one of the first "take-and-bake" pizzerias, where customers buy uncooked pizzas and cook them in their own ovens.

For an alternate means of giving, Wells Fargo Bank locations are accepting money for the "Trautman Family Support Fund" under donation account number 7580230311.

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