The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Lorain family perseveres, beats coronavirus
A Lorain family is recounting their months long journey in battling the novel coronavirus.
After three weeks in an intensive care unit followed by a month in a skilled nursing facility and months of rehab, Lorain native Frank Vyka was able to something many of people take for granted: he went for a walk with his wife, Aldine, of more than 50 years.
Contracting COVID-19 in September along with his wife and two other family members, Vyka was given a 10 percent chance of survival by doctors.
He says it was the strength and love of his family that helped him get through the most difficult moments.
What started out as routine medical appointment Sept. 11, evolved into what Vyka’s daughter Audre Gott called a nightmare for the entire family.
A few days after his appointment, Vyka and his sonin-law began feeling ill.
Initially thinking nothing of it, a few more days passed and his health began to decline.
Thinking it might be a heart issue, he was taken to Cleveland Clinic-Avon where it was revealed he had COVID-19.
The panic button set in. “We were completely stunned, and you have to understand, prior to that because of their age, I want to say, as of January of 2020, they went nowhere,” Gott said. “Other than other to doctor’s appointments, because we were so afraid of their age, and them being vulnerable to COVID.”
‘Living nightmare’
Despite taking the virus seriously and taking precautions, Gott said her parents, one sister and her husband all contracted COVID-19, but thankfully, avoided hospitalization.
But, she said it was her father’s battle which proved to be the most troubling.
After Vyka was transported to Fairview Hospital, the nightmare began. He spent three weeks in the intensive care unit including 12 days on a ventilator.
“It was a living nightmare to know that you had four family members, all at the same time, battling it, and having one in the ICU,” Gott said. “I mean, luckily they have four daughters, and we all live locally.
“And we had to become a team just to facilitate the decisions for my dad, for my mom, for my sister, for her husband. And it was like, I said, it was a living nightmare.
“It was so scary. Every time the phone rang, you didn’t know which one was going to definitely take a turn for the worse.”
After released from the hospital, Vyka spent a month in a skilled nursing facility in Parma where he was isolated from his family and restricted to 15 minute window visits.
“We were the people that you see on TV that would … go out there, we would take turns and go to see him, and we would have to see him through a window,” Gott said.
The hardest part was not really knowing how he was doing while on a feeding tube after leaving the hospital, she said.
Vyka had to relearn how to swallow and was unable to walk or stand, and required physical and occupational therapy, Gott said.
“He basically was like a newborn and have to learn everything over again,” she said.
After a month, the family made the decision to bring him home and he continued his recovery at his daughter Sue Lombardi’s ranch home.
Longevity marriage
The Vykas have been married over 50 years.
“They are like peas and carrots, they do everything together,” Gott said. “So, for them not to be able to touch each other, to see each other was a component of the healing.
“And we just made a decision as a family, we can’t keep him here because he needs to be with us. And at that time, we still didn’t know if he would be able to, to fully recover. And we didn’t want that horrible phone call that he passed away in the nursing home after he fought so hard to get out of ICU.”
Gott said her parent’s had not separated for that amount of time since Vyka’s military service and her father’s determination to get better again inspired the entire family.
Little by little he made progress eventually regaining the ability to eat solid food and walking again.
“And I do believe, being around his family and being with his wife finally gave him that determination if you want to say, because he finally said to me, I don’t want to die and I want to continue living and I’m going to fight, and I’m going to do whatever I can so I can walk in, so I can eat regular again, So I can go back to my home.”
“And I don’t know where he got it from his determination, and he’s a strong man. I mean a lot of other people I think would’ve just said forget it, I’m done. And he didn’t.”
Finally, Vyka returned home in February and with some modifications to help make it easier for him to get around safely.
He was able to take that walk with his wife.
Describing her parents, Gott said both have always been in great health and enjoyed their independence living out their golden years.
Frank Vyka through Gott is encouraging people to never give up and to always persevere and to keep fighting.
In sharing his story, Vyka wants the community to take the virus seriously and to continue following public health guidelines in wearing masks and getting vaccinated so no family has to go through the fear and stress as his did.