There was an emotional reunion at Hackensack University Medical Center as a patient who nearly died from COVID-19 last spring returned to thank the medical professionals who saved his life.
Doctors and nurses from the ICU in New Jersey clapped as Michael Goldsmith returned to the hospital with his wife Thursday to say "thank you."
"You have no idea how thankful we are. Every day, I really appreciate all of your hard work," Goldsmith told the hospital staff.
The 35-year-old was intubated for 22 days.
As a token of his appreciation and gratitude, Goldsmith presented the medical team with a painting featuring an artistic rendering of the coronavirus cell.
"The miracles that these doctors performed are unbelievable," he said. "I owe them everything, more than just the painting that we brought, more than just a thank you, I owe them everything."
The team of more than a dozen who treated Goldsmith included ICU care tech Russell Nicometi.
The two men shared a long hug as they reunited.
"I'm a little emotional, but I'm okay," said Nicometi. "Coming from where Michael came from just to have him walk through a door is a miracle to me."
Hospital President Mark Sparta said this is about more than medical care.
"The humanity of it all is part of what we do here," said Sparta. "It's just wonderful for the team to be able to see someone who was so very sick come back and thank them for their care."
Goldsmith is still suffering from post-COVID symptoms, but is grateful to be alive.
"I'm still going through different struggles, different days come with different issues, but thankfully now they're all a little bit more manageable," Goldsmith said. "It's a lot easier to manage when you're alive than when you're not so I will take that every day."
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