Employees give of themselves for Phil Tondi

Phil Tondi

Courtesy Village of Valley Stream

A blood drive was held on April 29 in support of longtime village employee Phil Tondi, who was in a coma for three weeks beginning in February. Pictured outside the blood drive were Tondi’s wife, Barbara, center, Mayor Ed Fare, fourth from right, members of Tondi’s family and his village co-workers.

Brian Croce/Herald

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Some people donated their time, many donated their blood and others brought their uplifting spirits in support of Phil Tondi, Valley Stream’s park maintenance supervisor, at a blood drive on April 29.

Tondi was diagnosed with a cerebral hemorrhage and fell into a three-week-long coma on Feb. 22. He had back surgery in January and developed a blood clot while recuperating. He was then put on Coumadin, a prescription mediation to prevent blood clots, which, according to his wife, Barbara Tondi, may have thinned out his blood too much. He was taken to the emergency room after complaining of a headache and then slipped into the coma.

Barbara Tondi, who said the last few months have been heartbreaking and painful, added that her husband of 12 years has made tremendous progress in recent weeks, and his outgoing personality has made him the talk of Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre. “He is now sitting up and off the ventilator, breathing on his own, and he’s just started eating soft foods,” she said, noting his progress as of the end of April.

Tondi’s family kept his condition quiet for weeks, but word began to spread in the village, and people wanted to know how they could help. Jeanette Roldan, a senior payroll clerk for the village, began organizing a blood drive through the New York Blood Center in March. The Firemen’s Field Clubhouse was secured as the location, and Roldan began printing and distributing fliers.

“I’ve known Phil a very long time, so I wanted to do something,” she said, “so I was at least able to give back in some way.” Roldan, who started working for the village in 1985, has known Tondi, who has worked for the village for 33 years, for decades.

Mayor Ed Fare said he was happy to see a steady flow of people coming to the blood drive, and added that many people were surprised to hear of Tondi’s condition leading up to the event because his family kept it a secret. Fare said that everyone who donated blood was cheerful and looked to share their favorite stories about Tondi with his family and friends in attendance.