CICERO, Ill. (WLS) – Attorneys for retired firefighter Joe Belgio have filed a lawsuit alleging that contaminated oysters served by a suburban Chicago restaurant led to a medical catastrophe, causing him permanent brain damage.
“He’s one of the rarest people you will ever meet. He was a God-fearing man. Success to him was having a family,” Melanie Stayer, Belgio’s fiancée, said.
Stayer said they were celebrating that success at Gibsons Steakhouse last June. She and Belgio had recently started their family and had a 5-month-old daughter.
Pictures from the day Stayer said changed their lives forever show what appears to be a strong, healthy man.
“I want people to be aware that this could happen to anyone. This was a casual day with a casual man at a restaurant that he wanted to celebrate life with his family, and life can change so quickly these days,” Stayer said.
These days, Belgio is confined to a hospital bed. The Marine veteran and retired firefighter is nearly unrecognizable.
Belgio’s attorneys allege contaminated raw oysters caused his health to spiral out of control.
“He ended up getting very, very ill, resulting in cardiac arrests where he lost consciousness and oxygen for at least eight minutes and was revived by this very fire department, and has been in the hospital ever since,” Belgio’s attorney, Scott O’Sullivan, said.
The attorney said doctors quickly screened for bacteria and discovered several pathogens, all of which, the lawsuit alleges, are associated with shellfish contamination.
“He is most likely bedridden for the rest of his life. He is extremely brain damaged with very little cognitive capacity and will need care for the rest of his life,” O’Sullivan said.
A spokesperson for Gibsons said in a statement, “There had been no other reported cases of illness. Based on the facts and our internal investigation, there is no evidence to suggest that our establishment caused his health condition. We are confident that a fair and thorough legal process will agree with this conclusion.”
Also named in the lawsuit is Supreme Lobster and Seafood Company, which has not responded to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Stayer said a man who put his life on the line for others will never be the same.
“This is a man who deployed. He ran in burning buildings, and you thought he was out of the line of fire, and really, he wasn’t,” Stayer said.
Cicero firefighters are working to ease the burden of Belgio’s recovery and long-term care. They have set up a charitable foundation to help with his expenses.
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