A frum doctor in the South Florida Jewish community, who worked the front lines of the pandemic in Mount Sinai Medical Center, returned home this week after fighting the coronavirus for more than 3 months.
Dr. Yaakov Rafael Elgozy, father of five from Walnut Creek, Florida, miraculously recovered from Covid after being on a ventilator for more than two months.
The situation at one point was so dire that he was flown to Gainesville for a possible double lung transplant. Thank G-d, he made a turn towards improvement, and during his recovery in the hospital, the local Shluchim, Rabbi Goldman and Rabbi Notik, visited him on a daily basis; putting Tefillin on him while providing support to him and to his amazing and dedicated wife Rachel.
Elgozy celebrated Sukkos and Simchas Torah in Mount Sinai medical center, together with the Hospital Chaplain, Rabbi Mendy Levy. “He was transported into another world and nothing could deter him from observing the Holidays in the best way possible,” said Rabbi Levy.
“He was able to make a Shehechiyanu and Bentch the Lulav and Esrog in the Sukkah – while enjoying the outdoors for the first time in many months. The last day of Yom Tov he danced and sang with a Torah in his lap, with tears of joy and gratitude streaming down his face.”
Elgozy was fortunate to have an amazing team of doctors and health care professionals – his “angels” as he referred to them, including Dr. Ronny Aquinin, Dr. Ignacio Cendan, Dr. Lilian Abbo and many others who helped him through this difficult journey.
As he left the hospital, where he has worked for more than 15 years, hundreds of doctors, nurses and staff came to wish him farewell; accompanied by music, singing and tears of joy.
The farewell celebrations didn’t end there… His special community in Walnut Creek, led by Shluchim Rabbi Zalman and Shana Korf, arranged an unforgettable welcome parade, together with the local men, women and children from the Chabad community.
His faith and endurance inspired hundreds of people from all faiths around the world to pray and do good deeds in his honor.
“One of the favorite mottos that Dr. Elgozy lives by, and has helped him pull through his recovery process, is ‘LeChatchila Ariber,'” says Rabbi Korf. “With Hashem’s Help, he plans to recover – over the top and break all boundaries.”
Please continue to Daven for a complete and speedy recovery for our special friend Yaakov Refael Ben Alegria.
Welcome back