Adam Lilling, now a father of two, was born in March 1980 at what is now Northwell Health’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center in Long Island.
A New York man who who beat COVID-19 was saved by the same hospital system that also saved his life as a baby.
Adam Lilling, now a father of two, was born in March 1980 at what is now Northwell Health’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center in Long Island and underwent an experimental pancreas surgery that ended up saving his life.
Forty years later, Lilling was diagnosed with the coronavirus.
He had been feeling ill and on March 16 was diagnosed with pneumonia and tested for the virus. A few days later, on his birthday, he found out he’d tested positive.
“On my birthday I felt terrible. Then I found out that I had COVID, so the doctor told me to go to the ER and after some tests at the ER, they admitted me to the hospital,” Lilling said.
He spent six days at North Shore University Hospital and was part of Feinstein Institutes clinical trial using Regeneron/Kevzara drug, used to study treatments for hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
“It was extremely scary. I was all by myself," Lilling told InsideEdition.com. “I really just feel like the luckiest guy in the world that I've been able to overcome two serious illnesses.”
Lilling wanted to thank the doctors and nurses who helped him not once, but twice, so he sent pizzas to the unit who helped him recover from the virus.
He has now been out of quarantine for about three weeks, and has taken his thanks one step further by setting up a fundraising page through Northwell’s community fundraising website to collect donations.
The fund has already more than $10,000 for medical supplies, paid child care for staff and mental health expenses, the hospital system said.
“I'm indebted to them forever and I'll do whatever I can to help them,” Lilling added.
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