A Kings Park man who had COVID-19 is marking the one-year anniversary of being released
from the hospital with a show of appreciation to the health care heroes who
treated him.
Matthew DiRusso and his friends biked 13 miles from his home
in Kings Park to South Shore University Hospital to thank the workers who
helped nurse him back to health.
“I’m lucky to be alive,” DiRusso says.
DiRusso had a collapsed lung last year and was in the
hospital for about two months. He says the staff was fantastic and acted like
his family since his actual family couldn't visit because of COVID restrictions.
He handed out 167 gift bags to
all the workers who helped get him back to his family.
"Everyone was absolutely terrific. It was wonderful to
be around those people seeing what they do every day there. Terrific people and
they deserve all the credit they get," said DiRusso.
His wife, Melia DiRusso says the health
care workers were like family when she and her family couldn’t visit Matthew.
“How do you say thank you for sending your husband back home again,” Melia
says.
The gift bags had items for nurses and
doctors like hand sanitizer, tissues, ChapStick and face masks.
Andrea Abbondondolo,
Matthew’s physician’s assistant says it’s wonderful to see a patient that was
so sick be able to be active again.
Matthew says
he's happy he gets to be active again and ride his bike with his family and
friends.
He says he'll always be grateful for the health care workers at South
Shore University Hospital.