Celebrity Chef Ralph Pagano’s Connection to Donation and Why he is committed to raising awareness of organ, eye, and tissue donation.

Did you know Celebrity Chef Ralph Pagano – father, husband, son, celebrity chef, restaurant owner, and friend to many- is a tissue recipient?

Celebrity Chef Ralph Pagano is Fireproof!! He experienced two burns on two different occasions and survived both. First incident was in late 2016 when a cook spills hot oil on the back of Ralph’s legs and where he received amnion grafts to treat burns. This incident was minor compared to burns sustained in the second burn incident in June 2017. This time Ralph experienced 2nd and 3rd degree burns nearly 35% of his body following a gas explosion at a restaurant he was opening in Bimini. He was transported from Bimini to Jackson Hospital in Miami, FL, for treatment and care of burns. With Ralph’s advanced knowledge of tissue donation and transplantation, he asked family and friends to contact Legacy Donor Services Foundation (Legacy) and Vivex where the grafts were made available in quick order to save his life. His treatment included Amnion (Birth/Living Tissue Grafts) for face, deceased donor skin (Allograft) for arms and because there was not enough amnion or deceased donor skin available, pig skin (Xenograft) was used to treat legs.

Ralph is grateful and shares, “I’m able to hug my kids, kiss my wife and still make my famous General Tsao’s Chicken thanks to my Donor and the work done by donor programs such as Legacy, Vivex and AATB.”

Ralph has been an ambassador for donation before needing the gift of donated tissue. On April 15, 2016, Ralph wanted to help publicize South Florida’s Inaugural Donate Life Blue and Green Day. We had every major television network in South Florida at that event.

Ralph continues to give back to the community and donation partners by continuing his work with Legacy Donor Services, Vivex and Jackson Burn Center. He also promotes donation on the Paul Castronovo Morning Show on BIG 105.9 on a regular basis. Ralph has been an inspiration to donors, recipients, their families and our community.

Legacy is honored to have Celebrity Chef Ralph Pagano create awareness and encourage the public to register as a donor and promote the importance of tissue donation.