Simple, everyday tasks proved challenging for Timothy Heaton, a former Suffolk County Correctional Officer after overcoming a near-death struggle with COVID-19.
He spent more than five months in hospital, with seizures at both Stony Brook University Hospital and St Charles Hospital, before going home last March.
But his recovery was far from over.
“I couldn’t move my pinky finger to operate a remote control,” Heaton said Thursday, adding that it took him about three months to regain the strength to stand and walk.
Heaton shared his COVID-19 experiences with family and former colleagues by his side at Yaphank Correctional Facility as he belatedly celebrated a momentous milestone: his retirement.
Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. presented Heaton with a retirement plaque, which he says is generally given to correctional officers who retire after 25 or more years on the job in recognition of their dedication to service.
“To see him here today and to see him as healthy as he is with his lovely family… it’s really an honor for me to be able to present him with his retirement badge,” Toulon said.
Heaton, whom he described as respected, could barely hold his hand the last time they saw each other, the sheriff recalled.
But on Thursday, the two men embraced with a hug.
A retired tag signals that the wearer is a former law enforcement officer and may be helpful to the retiree in addition to regular identification if that person carries a gun, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Dozens of officers lined the hallway on Thursday to cheer on Heaton, who recently turned 62 as he exited the building after the brief ceremony.
He was on life support this time last year.
“I’ve regained so much strength,” Heaton said. “I’m just grateful for every day.”
Heaton’s late September 2021 retirement date passed a few weeks after his COVID-19 diagnosis and while he was already hospitalized for a fight that included six weeks in a medically-induced coma.
But retirement wasn’t the only milestone marred by Heaton’s COVID-19 battle.
His granddaughter Haylee Jensen was also born while he was in the hospital. Heaton and his daughter Julie Jensen were both patients at Stony Brook, separated by a few floors, when she gave birth to Haylee.
Jensen, 28, said Thursday she recalled calling a doctor to check on her father shortly after giving birth – only to be told his prognosis was grim.
“I cried hysterically,” Heaton’s daughter said. “It was a lot. But he never gave up.”
The former law enforcement officer credited his family and colleagues at the Sheriff’s Office for helping him get through the dark times.
Now that he’s healthy enough to enjoy retirement, Heaton is spending a lot of time with 14-month-old Haylee.
And in March, the former correctional officer and his family are planning a cruise to Mexico — a year after he was released from the hospital.
Simple, everyday tasks proved challenging for Timothy Heaton, a former Suffolk County Correctional Officer after overcoming a near-death struggle with COVID-19.
He spent more than five months in hospital, with seizures at both Stony Brook University Hospital and St Charles Hospital, before going home last March.
But his recovery was far from over.
“I couldn’t move my pinky finger to operate a remote control,” Heaton said Thursday, adding that it took him about three months to regain the strength to stand and walk.
Heaton shared his COVID-19 experiences with family and former colleagues by his side at Yaphank Correctional Facility as he belatedly celebrated a momentous milestone: his retirement.
Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. presented Heaton with a retirement plaque, which he says is generally given to correctional officers who retire after 25 or more years on the job in recognition of their dedication to service.
“To see him here today and to see him as healthy as he is with his lovely family… it’s really an honor for me to be able to present him with his retirement badge,” Toulon said.
Heaton, whom he described as respected, could barely hold his hand the last time they saw each other, the sheriff recalled.
But on Thursday, the two men embraced with a hug.
A retired tag signals that the wearer is a former law enforcement officer and may be helpful to the retiree in addition to regular identification if that person carries a gun, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Dozens of officers lined the hallway on Thursday to cheer on Heaton, who recently turned 62 as he exited the building after the brief ceremony.
He was on life support this time last year.
“I’ve regained so much strength,” Heaton said. “I’m just grateful for every day.”
Heaton’s late September 2021 retirement date passed a few weeks after his COVID-19 diagnosis and while he was already hospitalized for a fight that included six weeks in a medically-induced coma.
His granddaughter Haylee Jensen was also born while he was in the hospital. Heaton and his daughter Julie Jensen were both patients at Stony Brook, separated by a few floors, when she gave birth to Haylee.
Jensen, 28, said Thursday she recalled calling a doctor to check on her father shortly after giving birth – only to be told his prognosis was grim.
“I cried hysterically,” Heaton’s daughter said. “It was a lot. But he never gave up.”
The former law enforcement officer credited his family and colleagues at the Sheriff’s Office for helping him get through the dark times.
Now that he’s healthy enough to enjoy retirement, Heaton is spending a lot of time with 14-month-old Haylee.
And in March, the former correctional officer and his family are planning a cruise to Mexico — a year after he was released from the hospital.
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