
The Florio Family
Donation protected
Our best friend Jason Florio needs our help! Out in Patchogue, NY, a large group of people grew up on a corner and did most everything together. From infamous 4th of July parties, to late night hangouts, to lemonade stands, the Corner was the place for good friends and good times. Although we are all grown up now, we still remain close friends and will still always have each other's backs. This is why it pains us to talk about what’s happening to Jay, whose house was the center of it all. Jay is a hard worker, loving husband to his wife Janna, and proud father of his two-year-old daughter, Adelina. To all of us, he is a great friend.
On September 20, 2021 Jay walked into the hospital after battling a persistent cough for over three weeks. He was in a lot of pain and started to have trouble walking, and believed he was having a stroke. He went to Long Island Community Hospital to have blood work and heart exams. When all the tests came back negative, he was wrongly sent home. When he awoke the next morning, he had lost his ability to sit up and was paralyzed from the neck down. He was rushed from his home by ambulance to Stony Brook Hospital where they performed an extensive and expensive work-up (CT’s, MRI’s, lumbar puncture, EMG’s). Based on the results, he was diagnosed with Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS). If caught any later, the disease could have worked its way upward (as it typically works from the feet up to the head), rendering him unable to speak, swallow, or breathe.
GBS is a rare disease (affecting only 1 in 100,000) in which your immune system attacks your nerves.
Jay received 7 rounds plasmapherisis followed immediately by 5 rounds of IVIG, and then over the next three months, traveled from the hospital, to an acute rehabilitation facility, and finally to a subacute facility where he resides now. He still faces a long road to recovery. He is unable to sit up or move his arms or hands at all, but he is finally beginning to move his legs slightly. When he is eventually able to sit up, he will have to work on things like transferring from a wheelchair, walking with walker, feeding himself, writing, showering, and dressing (amongst many other things). Every day he makes small improvements, but he is constantly reminded of what he cannot do and what he is missing - especially his daughter. Not only is our best friend Jay bedridden, but because of the COVID pandemic, he couldn’t have his daughter visit him for the first two months until NYS reduced some restrictions.
For the last three months (and for what may be many more in the future), Jay has lost all independence. He has been paralyzed and unable to work. Unfortunately, the financial implications of GBS are taking their toll. Janna continues to work full time relying heavily on family for support and babysitting. Childcare is extremely expensive, out-of-pocket health insurance maximums are never actually maximums, and other costs continue to persist. There is also the terrifying and consistent concern of the unknown: exactly when insurance will stop helping.
Jay and Janna have not wanted to ask for help, but especially during this holiday season, we want to support them in any way we can. Jay and Janna have always been around for everyone who needed them, and now with the tables turned, we can all chip in and hopefully make their lives a little bit easier. Any amount, big or small, will go directly to Jay’s family.
Organizer and beneficiary
The Corner Crew
Organizer
East Patchogue, NY
Janna Florio
Beneficiary