Hospital takes pride in Nico’s recovery

Nico Fiorello’s journey from suffering a broken neck and damaged spine to being able to walk within a few months has amazed the doctors and nurses who have cared for him.

Nassau University Medical Center officials wanted to share the success story, and invited Fiorello and his family to the hospital last week, where he spoke about his recovery efforts. At a press conference on the top floor of the 19-story building in East Meadow on Sept. 2, the Seaford High School senior discussed the wide range of emotions he has felt since his accident.

Fiorello was injured when he was at Jones Beach with his friends on May 17. He dove into the water and hit his head on a sand bar. He recalled being confused, scared and unable to move. Face down, he couldn’t yell for help, but his friends soon realized he was in trouble and pulled him out of the water. A woman nearby, who happened to be a nurse, stabilized his broken neck.

His friends called his mother, Lorraine, who thought he was only a few blocks away from his Seaford home working on an English project. She rushed to the NUMC, beating the ambulance there.

Dr. Elizabeth Fontana, NUMC’s director of neurosurgery, performed two operations on Fiorello, one immediately and another the next morning. She said based on the injuries he suffered, his prognosis was not good, making his recovery all the more remarkable.

“He’s made an incredible amount of progress in a very short period of time,” said Fontana, who detailed the injuries that Fiorello suffered and the work that surgeons had to perform, including removing a broken bone that was pushing into his spine, and installing a metal cage in his neck.

Fontana estimated the likelihood that Fiorello would recover this quickly at 10 to 15 percent, and she said he has progressed even beyond what she would have expected in a best-case scenario.

Fiorello was released from the hospital 11 days after his surgery, and was sent to the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in New Jersey, where he underwent intensive physical therapy. He still goes there two days a week, and also has exercises to do at home. While he mostly uses a walker, he is able to take some steps on his own, and stand for several minutes at a time.

He began his senior year at Seaford High School on Sept. 3. Dr. Victor Politi, president and CEO of NUMC, presented Fiorello with a backpack full of supplies for his first day.

Fiorello will be unable to play soccer this fall, but he said he is hoping to return to the lacrosse field in the spring. He still plans to go away to college, and said as a result of the accident and the care he received, he wants to become a physical or occupational therapist.

Lorraine Fiorello said that May 17 was a life-changing day, and when her son came home, it was like raising a 17-year-old infant. She noted that her once independent boy now required almost around-the-clock assistance. “This taught him patience,” she said of the accident. “Nico has no patience. He wants everything done yesterday.”

She said she is grateful for the tremendous care her son received at both NUMC and Kessler. “Thank you is not enough,” Lorraine Fiorello said about the doctors, nurses and therapists that have treated him.

Fontana said that the hospital sees a few spinal injuries as severe as Fiorello’s each month, but most are the result of car or motorcycle accidents. She hopes that his story can serve as an inspiration to others who are recovering.

Fiorello’s advice to others: “Just don’t give up because there’s always hope,” he said. “You’ve just got to believe. Stay strong and determined.”