Spine surgeon Jim Sanfilippo, MD, recently recovered from the coronavirus and is now raising funds for The Food Bank of South Jersey to help give back to his community, reports NJ.com
On March 10, Dr. Sanfilippo developed symptoms associated with the novel coronavirus. He canceled all appointments at his practice — Reconstructive Orthopedics in Sewell, N.J. — and got tested for COVID-19, which returned positive a few days later.
While recovering from the virus at home, he saw a video online of his friend jokingly shaving his son's head for $50.
Dr. Sanfilippo is now using that idea to raise funds for the Food Bank of South Jersey, which received a 200 percent increase in requests for assistance since the beginning of the pandemic, according to NJ.com.
As barber shops and hair salons are closed to try and slow the spread of COVID-19, Dr. Sanfilippo and his friends are asking that people donate whatever money they would usually pay for their haircut to the campaign.
To-date, the GoFundMe page, titled 'Haircuts for COVID-19,' has raised over $15,000.
Dr. Sanfilippo has practiced with Reconstructive Orthopedics in Sewell, N.J., since 2009. He is chief of the spine section and chair of the Virtua Brain and Spine Institute, as part of Marlton, N.J.-based Virtua Health.