Northeast Ohio’s best chefs are coming together to leverage their collective culinary creativity toward supporting one of their own: Chef John Selick IV, Culinary Director at Metz Culinary Management, food columnist at Northeast Ohio Boomer magazine, and enthusiastic volunteer for practically every foodie fundraiser that has occurred in Greater Cleveland over the past 20 years.
Hannah Doty, the 17-year-old daughter of Chef John and Allysun Selick, became suddenly and critically ill on March 21, 2023. Before she fell ill, Hannah was described as fiercely independent, intelligent, hilarious, driven, compassionate… a great student, employee, volunteer, friend and big sister.
But nonstop seizures led to 10 days in a coma, 28 days in the ICU, and 90 days of rehabilitation. After brain surgery, Hannah was diagnosed with AMSAN (Acute Motor Sensory Axonal Neuropathy) a rare and severe variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a condition in which a person’s nervous system attacks their nerves. Hannah is now recovering from quadriplegia. She and the entire Selick family have a long road ahead.
A special culinary event benefiting the Selick family features more than 30 chef’s stations serving small bites on September 21, 2023, 6-9 p.m. at Tri-C Hospitality Management Center on Public Square (180 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland). Organized by Tri-C’s Chef Ky-Wai Wong and Dinner in the Dark, the event will also include two wine tickets with admission and will feature a 50/50 raffle, raffle baskets and a silent auction.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Selick family. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
So far, $33,340 has been raised on the family’s Go Fund Me page (Hannah’s Road to AMSAN GBS Recovery), surpassing its original $20,000 goal.
The Selicks report that, after four months, Hannah regained her vision, voice and ability to eat and swallow, but has ongoing difficulties and has lost the independence she worked so hard to gain as a teen. Other than some head, neck, shoulder and trunk movement, along with her left hand, Hannah’s progress has been slow.
Her diagnosis is extremely rare (1-2 cases per 100,000 people), with only 3,000-6,000 cases per year in the U.S., according to the CDC. It most often develops during or after a viral or bacterial infection. A common warning sign is a persistent weakness and tingling that begins in the legs and extends to the torso and arms. Hannah’s prognosis expects up to 18 months of rehabilitation with an 85% chance of full recovery.
Allysun reports, “After 118 days…we have brought Hannah home. The generosity and kindness of others has left us without words and the path ahead of us is long but we are grateful to have her home again.”
Knowing that her daughter would continue to require 24-hour care after returning home in July, Allysun has set aside her career to care for Hannah and the younger Selick children. Along with Hannah’s ongoing need for intensive outpatient care, the family home required accessibility renovations, mobility equipment and transportation adaptations.
Hannah and her family have been dedicated volunteers, supporting the Cleveland community, devoting their time to the Greater Cleveland and Second Harvest Food Banks, March of Dimes, the Autism Society of Greater Cleveland, EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, CysticFibrosis Foundation, Taste of the NFL, Chefs Move to School (particularly with Warrensville Middle School), American Heart Association, University Hospitals 5 Star Sensation and Autism Speaks, among other worthy causes.
Now the community can support this philanthropic family in return during their time of need.
Funds from the Selick Family Fundraiser will go towards helping cover medical, renovation, equipment, rehabilitation, transportation and other out-of-pocket expenses as the Selicks navigate through this difficult time.
Additional organizers of this special event are ACF Cleveland, Dinner in the Dark, and Tri-C Hospitality Management faculty and students, and the Carlee and Cory Seelbach family. The event is generously underwritten by the Michael D. Symon Foundation, The Chef’s Garden, Sandridge Crafted Foods, and Sirna &Sons Produce.
“The NE Ohio Chef community has done an incredible job rallying behind this event,” Allysun says. “I cannot imagine a stronger profession where a network of people are more family than peers.”
Photos courtesy of the Selick family
