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200th COVID-19 patient discharged from Gaylord Specialty Healthcare in Wallingford

After five and a half weeks in Yale New Haven Hospital and nine days in Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, John Kozin was headed home.

WALLINGFORD, Conn. — One place we can usually count on good news coming from during this pandemic has been Gaylord Specialty Healthcare in Wallingford. 

On Friday, they delivered again in a big way.

They conducted their 200th COVID patient discharge in just under 11 months.

In late January, New Haven's John Kozin, 50, was not certain this day would have been possible.

"Once I was in the hospital, it was a week from having a common cold to heart stopping where they needed to use a defibrillator on me," Kozin said-

But after five and a half weeks in Yale New Haven Hospital and nine days in Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, Kozin was headed home as Gaylord's 200th COVID patient discharged.

"It’s awesome knowing that they’ve had that much of an impact on other people with Covid," Kozin said of Gaylord.

Vic Gara was Gaylord's first Covid patient discharged last April 24. He was among those congratulating John Kozin in person on Friday.

"To see the 200th patient be released from here and knowing the care and compassion that goes into every patient here it’s just amazing to see that and it’s an honor to be here," Gara said.

And for Gara, it was special to shake Kozin's hand and give him a hug.

"It was very emotional, and I have so much knowledge to pass along and I’m eager to do that and it seems to be what my mission is now," said Gara.

'It meant a lot," Kozin said. "I mean, it’s not the end of the treatment, but it’s a huge step in my recovery and getting home I’m starting to live my life again."

Kozin said, when he arrived at Gaylord March 3, he was at probably 20 percent strength. Now, he feels like he is at 80 percent.

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