NEW ROCHELLE, NY – A year ago, a father of four from this suburb of New York got worse in days from a mild cough to feeling like he was drowning.
He was one of the first coronavirus cases in New York. Soon, Governor Andrew Cuomo imposed a containment zone on his city to curb its spread, calling him “Patient Zero.” There was a flood of support for the man’s family when he was in a medically induced coma, as well as a few jabs from people who blamed him for an outbreak.
Now Lawrence Garbuz says he feels great gratitude for the joys of life – his family, his Orthodox Jewish community, and the beauty of a tree by his door that he barely noticed before he fell ill.
At the age of 51, he has mentored other Covid-19 patients who ask for advice, and his wife, Adina Lewis, has comforted many husbands. Some were devastated by the loss of a disease that killed more than half a million Americans on Monday, including 38,557 in New York.
“Being able to talk and listen to someone is very therapeutic in itself,” said Mr. Garbuz in an interview. “I think we will get through this whole pandemic if we listen rather than talk.”