Riza Kasikcioglu has been a local Edmonton hero ever since he risked his life by sprinting into a burning apartment building to warn of the fire.
But now, friends of Kasikcioglu are asking Edmontonians for help maintaining his restaurant as he takes six months to recover from brain surgery.
Kasikcioglu ran into the apartment building on Jasper Avenue and 118th Street in January, knocking on as many doors as he could to help people escape before the fire department had arrived. One person died and another was injured while hundreds were temporarily displaced from their homes.
Less than a year later, Kasikcioglu was working in his restaurant, Maximo’s Pizza and Donair, when he started feeling nauseous.
He dropped everything and ran to the nearest clinic, where he discovered that his flu-like symptoms were actually an indication of a brain tumour.
Kasikcioglu, seen here in January after he ran into a burning building. (John Robertson/CBC)
“We were prepared for the worst,” his friend Sim Senol said. “When you hear the words ‘brain tumour,’ you think it’s a death sentence.”
Fortunately for Kasikcioglu, his doctors told him the tumour was benign, but still had to be removed to avoid any further complications.
The surgery went well. Kasikcioglu is talking and Senol said his cognitive abilities and motor skills are returning to normal. Since Kasikcioglu had to close his store while he recovers from surgery, his friend started a GoFundMe to help him raise money.
Kasikcioglu is expected to be discharged from the University of Alberta’s neurosurgery unit by the end of the week and will continue to recuperate at home, surrounded by his wife and two young sons.
“This is our Christmas miracle,” Senol said.
‘He is an everyday hero’
Maximo’s Pizza and Donair was in dire straits before Kasikcioglu was taken to hospital. The closure of a nightclub upstairs made removed one of its most valuable clients for late-night food.
Senol found out about Kasikcioglu’s financial woes from his wife while he was in the emergency care unit. So Senol decided to put together a team of volunteers to renovate the restaurant.
“He’s important to us because we know that act of selflessness … was not a one-time thing. He’s always been this giving person,” she said. “He’s an everyday hero.”
The team of 10 volunteers are mostly from the Turkish Canadian Society, where Kasikcioglu volunteers.
The volunteers will begin the renovations Wednesday morning. They have a lot of work ahead of them, including replacing old lights, relining tiles on the walls, painting the entire restaurant top to bottom and replacing all of the photos of donairs with more appealing decor.
“Random people just hearing about Riza’s story just get touched,” Senol said. “I think everyone wants to help in any way they can.”
Although Senol has been fundraising already for Kasikcioglu and his family, she said she wants to give all of those funds to the family for their medical and personal expenses while her friend takes time to recover.
Restaurant will be dedicated to Edmonton heroes
As soon as Senol told Kasikcioglu about her idea to renovate his restaurant, the man chimed in with his own idea.
One of Kasikcioglu’s suggestions was to re-name the restaurant “Heroes,” not because of his brave actions during the fire, but to dedicate the restaurant to all the everyday heroes in Edmonton.
At the back of Maximo’s Pizza and Donair is a long hallway, where pictures of some of Edmonton’s most famous people will be hung.
Senol said she will be reaching out to Edmontonians like Mayor Don Iveson, Coun. Andrew Knack and even Wayne Gretzky starting early Wednesday morning to get them on board with the project.
With the city looking to develop Jasper Avenue, Senol said making the restaurant a landmark can serve everyone’s goals.
“We see this donair shop of Riza where you know he’s the example of a struggling businessman … we can turn his little donair store into an Edmonton icon,” she said.