Anonymous Donation Changes Port Washington Man's Life

Port Washington resident John Ragusa’s life changed as a result of an accident while trying to fix an antique car in May 2008.

The car was 100 years old and needed a hand crank to start it. One day in May that crank flew off and hit Ragusa in the head, he explained. He subsequently had brain surgery at North Shore University Hospital and afterwards was confined to a wheelchair, temporarily paralyzed on his left. Initially, he struggled with what he called a “pretty severe speech deficit.” Ragusa received speech, physical and occupational therapy at Transitions of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

For his issues with walking, Ragusa needed a brace on his foot that would provide electric stimulation that was fitted to him about two years ago.

“From that moment on, I had immediate results. I went from a wheelchair to standing in a single day,” he said.

When Ragusa was getting the brace fitted by Bioness Clinical Therapist Debra Borges, he said that there was going to be a day when he would pass the brace on. That day has come.

Ragusa received the brace through a donation after his insurance company wouldn’t cover the $6,200 cost because of what Ragusa said was the device’s “relative newness.” The donation came from an anonymous parishioner from St. Anne’s in Garden City, who gave the money to his pastor for Ragusa.

“To this day, I have no idea who donated it, but I’ve never lost the gratitude,” Ragusa said.

He’s going to respect the donor’s wish to remain anonymous and won’t try to track the person down but does insist that the next person who receives the Bioness brace continue to pay it forward in honor of the donor from St. Anne’s.

The Bioness brace will now be refurbished so someone else can receive it, explained Borges. Transitions director Jean Elbaum added that they will try to find someone who can’t afford the device.

“I don’t want any recognition for this,” Ragusa said. “I hope whoever made this extremely generous donation to me will see how their act is going to pass on to hopefully many other lives.”