Groton teen needs heart transplant

Anthony Lyman has dealt with allergies and asthma his entire life, but his mom, Kristen Persichilli, said it was “not that big a deal. He’s just always lived with it and did what he needed to do.”

Lyman is a junior at Groton Jr./Sr. High School who is no stranger to feeling ill from his asthma, so when he began experiencing a different feeling earlier this year, he instinctively knew it was out of the ordinary.

On Feb. 6, Lyman went to the emergency room. It was believed that he had a virus. By Feb. 14, he was not feeling any better, returned to the ER and was put on steroid medication.

Lyman’s symptoms just kept getting worse, so he went to the ER again Feb. 19. At that point, they thought he was having an allergic reaction to the steroids.

“Anthony was very ill at that point,” Persichilli said. “And on Feb. 23, he was rushed to Golisano Pediatric Cardiac Care Unit in heart failure.”

By the next day, Lyman was transferred to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester because the doctors at Golisano thought he might need a heart bypass surgery.

Lyman fought hard, and by March 11, he had stabilized to a point where he was sent home but on what Persichilli described as “lots of medication.”

Amid all this, Persicilli had contacted Lyman’s pediatrician, who, after looking at his x-rays, realized Lyman’s heart was enlarged.

Since then, Lyman’s cardiologist planned to readmit him to the hospital March 30, but Lyman went to the ER again March 26, not feeling well at all. He was immediately transferred to Columbia Hospital in New York City to start working with the heart transplant team.

What Lyman has been through was explained to me virtually by Persichilli, because when I spoke with her April 3, Lyman was recovering from a biventricular-assist-device-implantation (BIVAD) surgery he had undergone April 1.

A BIVAD is a mechanical device that supports both lower heart chambers and is implanted temporarily while waiting for a donor heart to become available, and that is the stage Lyman is now in. He was put on the list April 2 and will get a transplant when one is available.

Persichilli explained that there are different levels of urgency and that Lyman is at the top level. She said his doctors feel he should get one quickly. His A+ blood type helps make it easier, and his height allows more options for heart size.

As Lyman struggles to hold on until a heart is found, the rest of his family have their own struggles to deal with as they support him.

In addition to his mom, Lyman also lives with his stepdad, Joshua Persichilli, and his brothers Zachary White (eighth grade), Maddox Persichilli (first grade) and Brantley Persichilli (kindergarten).

Kristen is a stay-at-home mom, and Joshua a seasonal truck driver, which Kristen said has turned out to be a blessing in disguise due to the current circumstances. But it makes for a strain on an already tight budget.

Anthony’s dad, Vincente Lyman, has had to take off work as a restaurant manager at Applebee’s in Ithaca. Kristen said Applebee’s has been wonderful about giving Vincente the time off to be with his son, but lost wages can’t be helped. Joshua can’t work because he needs to be home for their other children.

“It’s super expensive to be in NYC,” Kristen said. “Parking alone is $40 a day.”

Kristen said COVID-19 hasn’t changed their lives much. They have a small circle of family and friends, and when the school closed, the kids just stayed home.

“Zachary stayed remote for school when Anthony got sick because it was hard for him to focus,” Kristen said. “But I am very excited about all of them getting back to school full time after the break. In-person learning is so much better. Zachary is old enough to understand what’s going on, and he has his own feelings to deal with. But for the younger kids, it’s hard to grasp. Joshua tries to keep their schedule on track.”

Kristen also expressed gratitude for Travis Williams, Jake Roe, Sheri Perrault and Laura May, who are all staff at the Groton Central School District who have reached out to her many times.

“I love Groton and its teachers,” Kristen said. “The elementary teachers noticed behavior changes in my younger kids, and that is good to be aware of for anyone going through trauma in their family.”

It never occurred to Kristen that they would be where they are now.

“Anthony has had many COVID tests — that’s not related to it at all,” Kristen said. “We still don’t know the cause — viral or genetic.”

Kristen shared that she has met other parents at Columbia Hospital who also had healthy children, “so there’s no way to even prepare for it.”

“When your child says they’re sick, take it seriously and keep pursuing help,” Kristen said. “Always get a second opinion. If you know there is something wrong, keep pursuing treatment.”

As for Anthony, he is a volunteer firefighter in Freeville, along with Joshua. Anthony got to help with a structure fire near the airport recently.

“He was sick then,” Kristen said. “I thought he was sleeping, but he’d gone on the call. Becoming a firefighter is Anthony’s passion. He wants to make it a career and is also considering EMT.”

For those who may feel inspired to help this family, there is a GoFundMe page set up at https://gofund.me/7893da48.

Groton on the Inside appears weekly. Submit news ideas to Linda Competillo, lmc10@cornell.edu or 607-227-4922.

In brief:

Pulled pork lunch

The McLean Community Church Women’s Fellowship is holding a pulled pork takeout lunch at McLean Community Church, 50 Church St., from 11 a.m. until gone April 10.

Pulled pork sandwich, coleslaw, mac and cheese, and apple cake are on the menu for $10 a meal. Please enter through the parking lot.

Library happenings

The Groton Public Library Board of Trustees monthly meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. April 15. Its annual meeting, elections and budget vote will be held at 7 p.m. April 27. The meetings are open, and the public is welcome.

The GPL Book Club will meet at 7 p.m. April 15. This month’s book is “Winter Garden” by Kristin Hannah. Contact director@grotonpubliclibrary.org for Zoom link and a copy of the book.

The Friends of the Groton Public Library annual meeting will be held at 7 p.m. April 22. Come and learn about the Friends. Email fotgpl@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

Lifeguards needed

Groton Recreation is hiring lifeguards for the Groton Memorial Park Pool on Sykes Street for this summer. Have fun in the sun this summer while protecting your community. If your certification has expired, they will help get you recertified.

Apply online at https://www.tompkinscivilservice.org/civilservice/vacancies. Groton listings are at the bottom of the page.