Delco man home for holidays after beating impossible odds during dangerous illness

RIDLEY PARK, Pa. - An emotional homecoming five months in the making for Joe Laudadio, of Ridley Park, Pa.

"I’m just happy he’s home," says Joe’s grandson, Vincent Angstadt.

It’s something that Joe’s wife, three children and six grandchildren weren’t sure they’d see.

"Being an ICU nurse, I knew how sick he was," says Joe’s wife, Peggy. "I actually did not think he was gonna live."

"My goal was to be home for Thanksgiving and I made it a day early," Joe says proudly as he beats the odds one day at a time.

Last June, Laudadio was rushed to the hospital after becoming disoriented following flu-like symptoms. Later, he realized he had a staph infection, which led to sepsis and a stroke.

"The septic shock was coming through my body because I had an artificial valve," Joe explains.  It attacked that and then blew off from that."

Joe was on a ventilator and dialysis. He had a feeding tube and needed heart surgery. But, he kept fighting.

"I wanted to live. I’m not gonna give up," he stated.

Five months later, the carpenter by trade, long-distance cyclist and devoted Pop-Pop is now a quadruple amputee.

"New goals are to walk with the prosthetics," he proclaims.

Joe perseveres and inspires.

"He never gets down, never gets upset," says Peggy.

While Joe still has a long, expensive road ahead, he and his family are counting their blessings with many family, friends, coworkers and neighbors stepping up to help.

"They never stop asking, ‘What can we do for you?’" explains Peggy.

The Laudadios say they’re grateful to be at home together once again.

"They’ve been by my side every minute of the day since it happened," says Joe. "It’s the greatest thing."

Here is a link to the Laudadios Gofundme page. The funds will help the family purchase necessary equipment, like, a stair lift, new ramps for their home and a specialized van.