Fighting for Vinnie
Donation protected
On April 6, 2020, my father and retired Madison NJ Police Chief, Vincent Chirico was admitted to the hospital with COVID-19.
He had been diagnosed with COVID-19 prior to 4/6. My father, Vinnie, was admitted to the hospital via the ER and was immediately told he needed to be placed on a ventilator. We weren’t allowed to discuss the decision with him…doctors just made him sign the paperwork. Over the course of the next few weeks, he was touch and go. We weren’t allowed to see him in-person or via Zoom during those weeks. We waited for his doctors to call each day with a daily update. After about 2 weeks on the ventilator, doctors tried to remove his ventilator, which lasted only a few hours and he was again, placed back on the ventilator. After a few days, we made the decision for him to get a PEG feeding tube and a tracheostomy. Within days of both procedures, he was doing much better and weening off the ventilator. In early May he was making great progress…he was talking, could text me, his daughter, from his iPhone too!
5/14/20 Vinnie suffered a devastating seizure episode that lasted about 36 hours. He was back in ICU and doctors didn’t know what happened. This time, in the ICU, he was placed in a medically induced coma and place on the ventilator, again. He got an MRI and we were told he had “something that was rare” by the neurologist who was attending at the hospital. I didn’t believe this, so I made a few calls and reached out to another neurologist, who then diagnosed my father with PRES (Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome). After weeks in the ICU, he gradually improved. Weeks passed, and in July, Vinnie was ready to go to an Acute rehabilitation facility.
Upon arriving at the Acute rehab, he did great…he was eating pureed foods, got his trache removed and was completely breathing on his own, was talking more, and was doing commands. Unfortunately, his progress at the Acute rehab was not quick enough for Medicare to keep paying for his progress, and he was transferred to a Sub-Acute rehab facility in August. Within days of arriving at his new Sub-Acute, Vinnie tanked. He was now unresponsive, we weren’t allowed to see him, nurses weren’t answering the phones at the facility or giving us daily updates.
8/21/20 My father was rushed by paramedics to the ER from the Sub-Acute. He arrived at the same hospital where he was admitted on 4/6. The ER doctor called me, his daughter, and told me to get there ASAP. When I arrived, I was taken to where my mother was waiting. We were then immediately placed in PPE (even though my father hadn’t tested positive for COVID-19 in months), and were taken into a glass room to see my father. The ER doctor told us to say “goodbye” to him, which we did, but something just didn’t seem right. My father was yelling my name and was awake…he wasn’t ready to die. Against doctors wishes, we decided to give my father another chance and he was placed back on the ventilator. He spent a few weeks in the ICU, but in the ICU he was now more awake, doing much better, and doing commands (all things he hadn’t done in weeks being at the Sub-Acute).
After a few weeks in ICU, where he was awake and doing commands, Vinnie was moved to a regular hospital floor. It was on this floor, where things took a turn for the worst. My father suddenly was barely awake, barely talking. We were told he wasn’t on any meds and that he had just given up.
On 9/17 the hospital asked my mother and I to meet with them to discuss my father’s health. During the meeting, my mother and I were told my father needed hospice, as he was not improving, and that he wanted to die. We were told they wanted to put him on morphine and place him in the palliative care unit for 1-2 days and then my mother and I had to bring him home to die…which they said could take 6 months or more! My mother and I both knew this didn’t sound right, and I immediately starting going into action trying to get my father moved to another hospital.
9/18/20 An angel appeared and we were able to get my father into the BEST hospital in NJ…Hackensack University Hospital (HUMC). Within 12 hours of arriving to Hackensack, my father was talking again and awake. We were told that the previous hospital had indeed placed him on many sedatives and that was why he hadn’t been awake. At HUMC, he was making strides. HUMC ordered an MRI, and reviewed the results. he HUMC neurologist said his brain looked much better and that he should have a full recovery and live a mostly normal life, but that the rehabilitation process would be a lengthy one.
10/2/20, Vinnie was discharged from HUMC to a new Sub-Acute facility that is affiliated with HUMC. So far, he is doing great! He talks and does commands. He has a long road ahead of him, but he is a fighter! He has never given up once since his battle with COVID-19, and his will to live is the strongest I’ve ever seen.
My father, Vinnie, grew up in Madison, has been active throughout the town, is the town’s retired Police Chief, coached many in little league, coached me in soccer, always showed up for any of my sporting events, supported Dodger sports, was a volunteer Madison Firefighter for many years, and is known by many in town.
We have started this Go Fund Me account, in partner with the Madison NJ PBA 92, to try to ease the financial burden of Vinnie’s wife and myself, his daughter. Vinnie has many medical bills thus far, and they will only be adding up. If Medicare deems his progress not quick enough, we will have to pay out-of-pocket for my father’s care and rehabilitation. Without rehabilitation daily, there isn’t a chance for him to continue to improve and to lead a normal life. Many of you can imagine the cost of a rehabilitation facility, and round-the-clock nursing care…it’s extremely expensive. We appreciate any donations to help ease this burden and to secure the proper care that my father will need.
We appreciate all of your love and support.
Love,
Joanne and Betty
He had been diagnosed with COVID-19 prior to 4/6. My father, Vinnie, was admitted to the hospital via the ER and was immediately told he needed to be placed on a ventilator. We weren’t allowed to discuss the decision with him…doctors just made him sign the paperwork. Over the course of the next few weeks, he was touch and go. We weren’t allowed to see him in-person or via Zoom during those weeks. We waited for his doctors to call each day with a daily update. After about 2 weeks on the ventilator, doctors tried to remove his ventilator, which lasted only a few hours and he was again, placed back on the ventilator. After a few days, we made the decision for him to get a PEG feeding tube and a tracheostomy. Within days of both procedures, he was doing much better and weening off the ventilator. In early May he was making great progress…he was talking, could text me, his daughter, from his iPhone too!
5/14/20 Vinnie suffered a devastating seizure episode that lasted about 36 hours. He was back in ICU and doctors didn’t know what happened. This time, in the ICU, he was placed in a medically induced coma and place on the ventilator, again. He got an MRI and we were told he had “something that was rare” by the neurologist who was attending at the hospital. I didn’t believe this, so I made a few calls and reached out to another neurologist, who then diagnosed my father with PRES (Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome). After weeks in the ICU, he gradually improved. Weeks passed, and in July, Vinnie was ready to go to an Acute rehabilitation facility.
Upon arriving at the Acute rehab, he did great…he was eating pureed foods, got his trache removed and was completely breathing on his own, was talking more, and was doing commands. Unfortunately, his progress at the Acute rehab was not quick enough for Medicare to keep paying for his progress, and he was transferred to a Sub-Acute rehab facility in August. Within days of arriving at his new Sub-Acute, Vinnie tanked. He was now unresponsive, we weren’t allowed to see him, nurses weren’t answering the phones at the facility or giving us daily updates.
8/21/20 My father was rushed by paramedics to the ER from the Sub-Acute. He arrived at the same hospital where he was admitted on 4/6. The ER doctor called me, his daughter, and told me to get there ASAP. When I arrived, I was taken to where my mother was waiting. We were then immediately placed in PPE (even though my father hadn’t tested positive for COVID-19 in months), and were taken into a glass room to see my father. The ER doctor told us to say “goodbye” to him, which we did, but something just didn’t seem right. My father was yelling my name and was awake…he wasn’t ready to die. Against doctors wishes, we decided to give my father another chance and he was placed back on the ventilator. He spent a few weeks in the ICU, but in the ICU he was now more awake, doing much better, and doing commands (all things he hadn’t done in weeks being at the Sub-Acute).
After a few weeks in ICU, where he was awake and doing commands, Vinnie was moved to a regular hospital floor. It was on this floor, where things took a turn for the worst. My father suddenly was barely awake, barely talking. We were told he wasn’t on any meds and that he had just given up.
On 9/17 the hospital asked my mother and I to meet with them to discuss my father’s health. During the meeting, my mother and I were told my father needed hospice, as he was not improving, and that he wanted to die. We were told they wanted to put him on morphine and place him in the palliative care unit for 1-2 days and then my mother and I had to bring him home to die…which they said could take 6 months or more! My mother and I both knew this didn’t sound right, and I immediately starting going into action trying to get my father moved to another hospital.
9/18/20 An angel appeared and we were able to get my father into the BEST hospital in NJ…Hackensack University Hospital (HUMC). Within 12 hours of arriving to Hackensack, my father was talking again and awake. We were told that the previous hospital had indeed placed him on many sedatives and that was why he hadn’t been awake. At HUMC, he was making strides. HUMC ordered an MRI, and reviewed the results. he HUMC neurologist said his brain looked much better and that he should have a full recovery and live a mostly normal life, but that the rehabilitation process would be a lengthy one.
10/2/20, Vinnie was discharged from HUMC to a new Sub-Acute facility that is affiliated with HUMC. So far, he is doing great! He talks and does commands. He has a long road ahead of him, but he is a fighter! He has never given up once since his battle with COVID-19, and his will to live is the strongest I’ve ever seen.
My father, Vinnie, grew up in Madison, has been active throughout the town, is the town’s retired Police Chief, coached many in little league, coached me in soccer, always showed up for any of my sporting events, supported Dodger sports, was a volunteer Madison Firefighter for many years, and is known by many in town.
We have started this Go Fund Me account, in partner with the Madison NJ PBA 92, to try to ease the financial burden of Vinnie’s wife and myself, his daughter. Vinnie has many medical bills thus far, and they will only be adding up. If Medicare deems his progress not quick enough, we will have to pay out-of-pocket for my father’s care and rehabilitation. Without rehabilitation daily, there isn’t a chance for him to continue to improve and to lead a normal life. Many of you can imagine the cost of a rehabilitation facility, and round-the-clock nursing care…it’s extremely expensive. We appreciate any donations to help ease this burden and to secure the proper care that my father will need.
We appreciate all of your love and support.
Love,
Joanne and Betty
Organizer and beneficiary
Madison PBA
Organizer
Madison, NJ
Patrick Strafaci
Beneficiary