Victorious in battle with virus

RECOVERS FROM VIRUS  Dan Venezia, a parishioner of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson and a personal trainer, is shown recovered from COVID-19 and working out two weeks after he was discharged from Valley Hospital in Ridgewood.

PATERSON  His temperature spiked to 104 degrees, while his oxygen levels sank dangerously low. Dan Venezia did not think that he would survive his first night in the hospital — on Palm Sunday — as his body struggled to wage a ferocious battle against the coronavirus that had weakened him severely.

It was providence that Venezia, 48, a parishioner of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist here, walked through the valley of death in his fight with COVID-19 during Holy Week — mirroring the Passion of Jesus. In fact, he experienced a physical resurrection of sorts on Easter, the first day that he felt cured of the virus after four days in Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. Coronavirus ravaged Venezia’s body, but not his mind or spirit, thanks to a flood of prayers that stormed heaven and an inspiring Palm Sunday homily by Msgr. Geno Sylva, St. John’s rector and diocesan vicar for special projects, who cautioned people against feeling sorry for themselves in times of struggle.

“I rose out of bed on Easter Sunday, feeling better for the first time. I woke up to a choir of angels — birds singing in my backyard. Since then, I’ve been getting better each and every day,” said Venezia, a married father of two teenage boys, a personal trainer, motivational speaker and former minor league baseball player, who lives in North Haledon. He has been talking on TV and radio and to newspapers to tell his story of victory over COVID-19. “Coronavirus tries to take over your mind and clearly takes over your body. It felt as if a Mack truck had hit me. Keeping a sound spirit, sound mind and sound body — in that order — along with the excellent medical care that I received, paved the way for my recovery,” he recently told Fox News.

By the time Venezia went to the hospital on Palm Sunday evening, he had been in self-quarantine for 10 days at home with COVID-19 symptoms, including a fever and dry cough. At the advice of a friend, Dr. Charles Thorne, a plastic surgeon from New York City, he chose to be admitted that night, when his oxygen levels dropped. In his hours of darkness, Venezia recalled Msgr. Sylva’s homily in a video-streamed Mass from the cathedral that morning.

“You get to that place where you are in the hospital, it’s late at night, you can’t breathe and you’re all alone. Father Geno’s words proved vital. I never felt sorry for myself, so I was able to change my mindset at this difficult time. I followed the example of Jesus, who also was in pain in his time of fear and doubt,” said Venezia, who felt prayer from people watching the Palm Sunday Mass; family, friends and colleagues; the community of Delbarton School in Morristown, where his sons are students; and from the Minnesota Twins baseball organization, for which he played in its minor league system (1993-95). “When two or more people come together in Jesus’ name to pray for someone, the Holy Spirit is present. These prayers were answered,” he said.

In the hospital, Venezia called on his experience as a personal trainer as he got more mobile. He walked laps around his room, did chair squats, used a machine periodically to expand his lung capacity and lifted one-pound water bottles as if they were dumbbells. He followed Dr. Thorne’s advice: “This virus wants to knock you on your back. Don’t let it,” said Venezia, who thinks that his mild case of asthma made him more susceptible to COVID-19.

The most heartbreaking part of Venezia’s hospitalization was that he could not have any contact with Heather, his wife of 21 years, or his sons: Ryan, 17, a Delbarton junior, and Skyler, 16, a Delbarton sophomore. They sent a care package with clothes, a family photo and an old iPhone that he used to video chat with them. He said, “It was important to see their faces, while I was in the hospital; they were my motivation for getting better.” Venezia, who is writing a book about his experience, also credited his wife for “keeping the family together.”

“It was a trying time for all of us and difficult for the boys. It was important for me to keep my ‘game face’ on for them, even when I wanted to cry,” said Heather Venezia, who credited the support of friends, family and faith. “We always remained hopeful,” she said.

It was on Holy Thursday that Venezia took his victory lap at Valley Hospital with help from doctors and nurses who lined up in the hallway and clapped and cheered, as he was being wheeled out the door in a wheelchair. That day, he broke a record at the hospital with a short four-day stay, when the average is 7 to 14 days. TV outlets televised Venezia’s cell phone video of the joyous event.

“I was emotional, fighting back the tears,” said Venezia, who told Fox News that he should be clapping for the hospital staff. “When you press the little red button on the remote control, they come rushing into a room filled with sickness. I felt like I had the plague but the nurses would ask me if I would like them to rub my back. They were amazing. It’s sad that we have to go through a pandemic for people to appreciate healthcare workers and police, firefighters and clergy — professions that demonstrate selfless acts of courage on a daily basis,” he said.

For the next five days, Venezia self-isolated at home. On Good Friday, he took his last dose of the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine, which he called a “game changer” in his recovery. While talking to national media, he gave a “shout out” to Msgr. Sylva, St. John’s and his Catholic faith.

“Through dark times, we can find our way back to the Lord. This story is an opportunity to help others. We need to let others know that the Church is a beacon of hope,” said Venezia, who called Msgr. Sylva “such an inspiration.”

About 25 years ago, Venezia met Msgr. Sylva while dating Heather. The priest married them. The family recently became St. John’s parishioners, where Venezia is a member of the pastoral council and recently gave a talk to its Young Prophets youth group.

“Dan has a tremendous faith. He is a passionate person for the Lord and has absolute trust in him. He is not ashamed to say how proud he is to be Catholic and that he has faith in God’s goodness,” said Msgr. Sylva, a Delbarton alumnus.

Even before his fight with coronavirus, “I would get down on my knees every day to pray. Now, I stay down there a little longer in gratitude,” Venezia told The Beacon. Visit Dan Venezia on Instagram: @danvenezia23.