A Rahway, New Jersey man received his wish this past week following a 75-day stay at a Warren County Hospital, 54 days on a ventilator, and more than four months undergoing rehabilitation.
All 64-year-old Andrew “Andy” Priliszh wanted was a steak once discharged on June 23 from St. Luke’s Hospital in Phillipsburg. But it would take several months before the former corrections officer could physically be brought up to the task of just eating it.
Priliszh contracted COVID-19 at a nursing home when New Jersey was reaching its peak in coronavirus cases at the beginning of April. To make matters worse, he had multiple pre-existing conditions that put him at a high risk for complications from a COVID-19 infection. He later developed kidney failure while at the hospital, which required dialysis. He also had to have a tracheostomy due to being on a ventilator for so long.
After leaving the hospital in June, Priliszh couldn’t feed or bathe himself without help. A lift machine was used to safely transport himself places. He worked extensively with a speech-language pathologist to strengthen his swallow functioning so he could be upgraded back to a regular diet from a strictly pureed diet.
Once able to eat a grilled cheese sandwich -- his first solid food -- Priliszh described it as “like eating gourmet shrimp.”
The real delicacy, however, came several weeks later and after Priliszh tirelessly worked with a team of occupational therapists at Genesis Rehabilitation Services to help him regain strength in his dexterity to cut his own food, open containers and eventually, self-feed. He simultaneously worked with physical therapists at Genesis to help him eventually walk independently.
When Matt Johnson, owner of Rath’s Butcher & Delicatessen in Greenwich Township, learned about Priliszh’s plight, he said it was the least he could do in donating a 48-ounce prime grade bone-in Ribeye steak. The deli has been in existence since 1997 and Johnson took over ownership in 2017.
“It feels great to be able to give back to an individual that went through hell and back during Covid and came out on top,” Johnson told lehighvalleylive.com.
He went on to credit the physicians, nurses and staff at Genesis in being the real heroes in getting Priliszh back to leading a normal life.
“It was my pleasure to be able to be a small part in bringing him joy,” Johnson added.
Priliszh said his in-room exercises with the physical therapists are what provided him the motivation to keep going. He went on to thank the team while eating the meal, staff at Genesis said.
“I’m here because I had a lot of good people behind me here and at the hospital," Priliszh said.
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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
The Link LonkNovember 09, 2020 at 07:40AM
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Deli donates 48-ounce steak to coronavirus patient back home after being hospitalized 75 days - pennlive.com
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