Long Island Man Thanks Hospital That Saved His Life By Offering Free Super Bowl Tickets To Health Care Workers
OCEANSIDE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A grateful Long Island man has offered a supersized thank you to the hospital that saved his life.
Four hardworking health care workers at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside are heading to Tampa.
"We are going to the Super Bowl," emergency department nurse Eileen Carolan said, laughing.
"They said, do you want to go to the Super Bowl? I said, are you kidding? I said, yes, of course," said Dr. Frank Coletta, chief of critical care.
It's all thanks to a former hospital patient, married father of three Larry Ferazani from Rockville Centre, who also happens to be a lawyer with the NFL.
"I spoke to the powers that be here at the NFL, and obviously they're very familiar with what happened to me, and I said, I got a group that really I need to thank and start to, and show a debt of gratitude," Ferazani told CBS2's Andrea Grymes.
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Back in December 2019, Ferazani was on his way home from work on the train when he started having a heart attack. He didn't realize that's what it was at the time, but his wife urged him to go to the emergency room.
He had a 100% blocked artery, and the staff performed an angioplasty.
"If I was anywhere but in that ER, I think the outcome would've been much more negative. Much more dire," Ferazani said.
A few months later, the hospital went into complete overdrive with the pandemic.
"An ER was a warzone," said respiratory therapy director Iris Halem. "It's just working, working around the clock and just to try to save those patients."
When the NFL decided to give Super Bowl tickets to vaccinated health care workers, Ferazani thought it was the perfect chance to thank South Nassau for not only saving his life but for their tireless work treating COVID patients.
He arranged for the hospital to get four free tickets.
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The CEO selected four deserving employees, and Ferazani offered to pay for their flights and hotel.
"So excited and honored to represent the hospital," chief medical officer Dr. Adhi Sharma said.
"To me, I think it sends a message to the nation that people like us are appreciated," Coletta said.
How can you ever repay someone -- or a hospital -- for saving your life? Offering a trip of a lifetime is certainly a start.
Ferazani says he is doing great today. He's back running but eating much healthier.
Super Bowl LV is available live on CBS, streaming via CBS All Access, and streaming free on CBSSports.com, and on the CBS Sports app on your phone, tablet, and connected TV devices.
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