Valley Stream
HERALD
tentative summer camp plans
Village celebrates Arbor Day
skelos released amid Covid scare
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Vol. 31 No. 18
APRIl 30 - MAY 6, 2020
Dashed hopes Spring varsity sports become another coronavirus casualty bers. “There’s nothing we can do,” he said. “That’s the hardest part pbelfiore@liherald.com — the helplessness.” Not long after the attacks on It was a disappointing outSept. 11, 2001, Valley Stream Cen- come for student athletes across tral High School District Athlet- the Island, but for the senior athic Director Scott Stueber letes graduating this year, Stuerecalled, the district managed to ber said, “There are no words.” get the fall season Among the Valon track. Stueber ley Stream senior was a coach at the athletes robbed of a time, and even after final chance to play Hurricane Sandy 11 for their school was years later, his footNorth High School ball team squeezed varsity first basein a playoff game man Anthony Capothat the storm’s devlino, who was dealt astation had threata heavy blow. ened to cancel. Because of the But on April 20, senior-heavy makeany hopes that the up of the baseball spring sports season ANthoNY team last season, could continue were Capolino sat out a dashed when health CAPolINo number of games to and safety concerns South High School g ive g r a d u a t i n g led athletic adminis- varsity baseball team players a chance to trators and school play. Unlike many of superintendents in his teammates, CapNassau and Suffolk counties to olino played just one sport, his announce its cancellation due to coach, Phil Sanfillippo, said. the coronavirus pandemic. This season was supposed to be Stueber said he had hoped to his chance to shine. salvage a shortened season, or at “Him in particular, I know least practices, but as the public how hard he worked,” Sanfillipand officials learned more about po said. “. . . He was playing the the dangers posed by Covid-19, best baseball he had ever the disease brought on by the played.” coronavirus, he realized no Capolino said he envisioned a amount of planning could solid season, and looked forward ensure the safety of players, to leading his team to perhaps coaches and their family memContinued on page 3
By PeteR BelfIoRe and toNY BellIssIMo
I
t was really heartbreaking because everything I worked for was just gone.
Courtesy Joe Lanzetta, Mercy Medical Center
oN APRIl 15, Robert Sidberry became the first intubated Covid-19 patient to survive at Mercy Medical Center, and was discharged after 29 days in the hospital.
A fight for life against Covid-19 Valley Streamer comes home after 29 days By NICole AlCINDoR nalcindor@liherald.com
Robert Sidberry, 55, of Valley Stream, said it felt like he was drowning. “I was gasping and fighting for air,” he said, recalling the day he was admitted to Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre with pneumonia caused by Covid-19, the disease brought on by the coronavirus. “I was cold, throwing up over and over again . . . I had a fever, and my
lungs felt like something was weighing them down.” It was March 16, and after doctors administered a test, he was soon confirmed as a positive Covid-19 case. Two days later, Sidberry stopped breathing on his own. Staff inserted a plastic tube in his throat, a procedure called intubation, and hooked him up to a mechanical ventilator, which breathed for him. As medical knowledge of the coronavirus expands, one constant has
remained: Patients who are intubated are most likely to die of the disease. Two weeks later, however, Siberry started to breathe on his own again. After 29 days in the hospital, he was discharged on April 15, becoming the first intubated Covid-19 patient to leave the hospital alive. He is now home, working to gain back the 25 pounds that he lost while sick, and said he is Continued on page 8