Pizzeria owner celebrates 1 year anniversary of beating COVID, donates 400 pizzas to hospital staff
MOUNT KISCO, Westchester County (WABC) -- A Westchester County pizzeria owner wanted to show his gratitude to the medical team that saved his life one way he knows how: with pizza.
Gianni Piccolino is celebrating his one year anniversary of being discharged from Northern Westchester Hospital after battling COVID-19 for months.
Piccolino was admitted to the hospital in 2020 days before Thanksgiving and spent two months in an induced coma.
"He almost died on Christmas Eve and we came to the hospital to say goodbye to him three times and every time that he was gonna past he made it through the next step and the next step," Gianni's wife Dianna Piccolino said.
And as the owner of Stone Fire Restaurant, Gianni Piccolino decided to thank the hospital staff that saved him by donating about 400 pizzas to the workers.
"Oh my God it feels amazing to be able to do this and give back," said Gianni Piccolino.
Doctors, nurses and other medical staff were happy to see John on such a momentous anniversary.
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"We can't see him without just like tears in my eyes," said Doctor Nan Li an ICU Attending Physician at Northern Westchester Hospital. "Seeing him, I remember what he looked like wheeling him to the operating room."
This isn't the first time Gianni donated food to hospital workers.
He gave 10,000 free pizzas away to first responders at the beginning of the pandemic.
"It's just human nature," Gianni Piccolino said. "People do nice things for you, you want to do nice things for them."
North Westchester Hospital is important to the Piccolino family for other reasons: this is also the hospital where their twins were born.
"We're just grateful, so grateful," Dianna Picolino said. "How do you you thank someone for your life you know."
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