If you’re afraid of COVID-19, and are avoiding coming back to your doctor for care, you should talk to Andy Dellolio (shown with his wife Holly and daughter Francesca Marie). Not only is he a loyal Deborah patient, but as a career EMT he fully understands the risks of coronavirus.

Additionally, since he also received a kidney transplant from his wife Holly six years ago, he knows he has to keep a close eye on his auto immune system.

“I have a compromised immune system,” he said. “But I trust Deborah – more than anything. I felt that at this time it was the best option for my next procedure.”

The 53-year old Forked River resident first started coming to Deborah in 2008 when he needed a stent to treat a blockage. “The level of care I received was phenomenal.” In addition to cardiac issues, Andy also has type 2 diabetes, which was undiagnosed and uncontrolled when he was younger.

“I ended up with kidney issues and needed a transplant in 2014.”

Andy, whose career has spanned 31 years from his early days as a Howell first aid EMT, to a firefighter in Jackson Township for 10 years, to his last 9 years with the Lanoka Harbor EMS where he was named first lieutenant in 2019, has worked hard on the front lines during the pandemic, and knows about COVID first-hand.

“I was planning bariatric surgery at Deborah,” he said. “In the beginning of the pandemic I knew this would have to be put off. But now the numbers are down and it’s a good time to move forward. I came to Deborah recently for my endoscopy and I felt very safe at the hospital and in the outpatient procedure unit where I recovered.”

Bariatric surgeon Basil Yurcisin, MD agrees that Andy’s timing was perfect. “We are absolutely at a place where we can very safely see patients. In Andy’s case, having this surgery will have a positive impact on both his weight and his diabetes. These health benefits are critically important for continued cardiovascular health as he gets older. He definitely made the right decision coming back for care.”

Andy urges anyone who has delayed seeing their doctor to move forward now. “Don’t be afraid. Take all your precautions, but at this time, the hospital is a ‘safe zone’. Don’t put your health at risk.”