Help Paul Mariani recover financially from COVID

Our brother Paul A. Mariani, Jr. has been struggling with the side effects of COVID since he was admitted on February 12th of this year. He was taken by ambulance to Bryn Mawr Hospital because he was struggling to breathe. He was diagnosed with COVID-19. Unfortunately, within 2 days, after being told the night before that he could go home, he was put on a respirator and was placed in an induced coma for 4 weeks. During this time he suffered several infections and hewas touch and go and we were not sure if he would make it. His only interaction with the family was Facetime calls when the staff had time to coordinate them. Due to COVID restrictions he was allowed no visitors. As fate would have it, his wife Lisa was also diagnosed with COVID, had to quit her part time job and ironically was in an ICU room next to Paul for a week. Lisa was never allowed to visit Paul’s room and he had no idea she was there. Lisa luckily responded well to treatment and was able to recover at home for weeks, weak, tired and on oxygen.

 

After the initial 4 weeks on the respirator, being inverted for days at a time to help the lungs heal, he was taken off the vent for 2 days, but immediately spiked a fever and was placed back on the ventilator for an additional 7 days. Paul struggled to wake from the induce coma, so cat scans were done. It was clear that Paul had suffered along at least 2 small strokes along the way but no one is sure when they actually occurred. When this 5th infection was resolved, he was removed from the vent but still had a trachea. Paul was then transferred to Kindred for a month of subacute rehab to remove the trachea. (Paul also suffered infections at Kindred.) After Kindred he was transferred to Phoenixville for a month of acute Rehab, where he yet again suffered from infections. Paul was not allowed any visitors and only occasionally had “drive by” visits. From there he was transferred to Genesis Wayne skilled nursing Rehab for. 4 months. Paul’s rehab was halted several times when he contracted infections that had to be resolved before he could resume rehab. After almost 7 months in hospitals and Rehabs, where he spent his 62nd birthday, Paul was able to go home but is still unable to walk on his own.

 

Paul is the sole provider for his family and is self-employed. Since February there has been no income for the family. We don't know when he will be able to work again, and he was just told by his neurologist that he needs at least 3-4 more months of outpatient rehab to be strong enough to walk with a cane. In addition, he was just informed he will probably have additional strokes if he doesn't have additional testing and a possible carotid stent.

 

Paul is always there when people need help. He took care of his great-aunt for over a year until she passed away. He volunteered for numerous activities at Villanova, coached multiple teams in baseball and wrestling and taught CCD at St Denis. Paul is always the first to ask if somebody needs help. He always tries to help, even financially when he doesn't have the time or the funds.

 

We are asking for your help to get him over this last hurdle to walk, and to help pay for the mountain of medical bills that have only begun to pile up. Any amount of will help and even though he did not want us to ask, we are sure he will be eternally grateful.

 

Thank you.