'Miracle' North Fork Postal Worker Needs Help After Health Struggle

NORTH FORK, NY — A beloved and well-known face on the North Fork canvas is facing a life-changing health struggle and needs help.

Stephanie Konarski of Mattituck organized a GoFundMe, "Help Dan Konarski Recover from Cancer," for her brother.

On July 14, she wrote, Dan had a sudden seizure early in the morning. He had no history of seizures, so the situation was alarming, she said. He was rushed to the hospital, where they found bleeding on his brain. By doing an MRI, doctors found that he had two tumors on his brain.

"Brain surgery was quickly scheduled to remove one of the tumors to prevent an even worse and more deadly seizure — and to test for cancer," she said.

Four days after the seizure, on July 18, Dan was taken into brain surgery. The doctor was able to remove one of the tumors successfully. But two days later, Dan fell asleep and wouldn't wake up, his sister said.

"On my birthday, July 22, Dan was officially in a coma," Stephanie wrote. "My family and I were in agony, waiting to see if he would even survive. They gave him a 50/50 survival rate at one point."

She added: "Then ,while he was still lost in this deep sleep, we received the results of the biopsy from the tumor. It was Stage 4 melanoma. All of us were shocked and distraught. We didn't know if he would even survive the coma, but knowing he had a massive battle against melanoma after he woke up was incredibly heart-wrenching."

And yet, despite the despair, there was hope, she said.

"Dan is a survivor. Dan is a miracle, as the hospital staff would say. About a month after he was first sent to the hospital, Dan squeezed his wife's hand. He was starting to wake up from the coma. I learned that waking up from a coma is nothing like in the movies or on TV. It's very slow and even just being able to lift a finger is an amazingly encouraging sign."

Now that her brother is growing stronger physically and gaining back the weight he lost in the coma, the next step is for him to be able to finally go home and then start his cancer treatments. Dan will continue physical therapy to increase his ability to walk and complete everyday tasks while also going through cancer treatments to fight melanoma.

"Dan has a tough road ahead of him. But his optimism through all of this truly amazes me and helps us all believe he can make it through this. . . Dan is a wonderful, caring person I love with all my heart," she wrote. "It's been heartbreaking to see him endure sudden serious medical emergencies, but I'm so grateful he is alive and fighting with all his strength to survive. He is currently recovering from the effects of being in a coma and will also be starting cancer treatments soon."

Her brother and his wife Natasha — who worked as an accountant for the Hampton Jitney — have been unable to work since the onset of his medical issues, Stephanie said. "He has a tough battle ahead of him, and medical bills shouldn't prevent him from getting the care he needs or add any additional stress and anxiety while he is doing everything he can to fight for his life. With your help, Dan can afford his necessary medical treatment."

The costs for his medical treatment so far have been astronomical, Stephanie said; the hospital bills for the hospital stay and the testing have amounted to more than $35,000. Bills for the surgery and the rehab stay will be coming in shortly.

"We expect the total cost for the lifesaving medical treatments he has had so far will amount to more than $50,000. And he still needs to go through cancer treatments," she explained.

Stephanie wrote that her brother was able to go home Tuesday, after three months in the hospital and more than a month in rehab.

Her brother, Stephanie told Patch, has lived on the North Fork his whole life and was a carrier for the Peconic post office for about 10 years.

"He's a nice, quiet guy who's been satisfied living a pretty simple life with his wife Natasha, who he married almost 10 years ago. They rented a place in Riverhead while trying to save up to eventually purchase a home. But everything changed this past summer," she said.

Dan celebrated his 40th birthday in June and soon after, in July, had the sudden seizure. " He was a seemingly perfectly healthy person before this emergency," she said.

Since waking from his coma, Dan has had to relearn how to walk, talk, eat, and do seemingly simple everyday tasks. It’s been over 4 months now since the seizure and Dan was finally set to go home Tuesday. He spent three months in the hospital and over a month at San Simeon in Greenport for physical, occupational and speech therapy, she said.

"When he’s home, he’ll begin cancer treatments and continue his physical therapy. Dan’s still recovering from the effects of the coma, but he can now walk with the assistance of a cane, and he’s mostly returning to how he was before all this happened. Although he still has a long way to go," she said.

And yet, her brother has defied all odds, she said. "Dan is a fighter and optimist, which has helped him survive and recover so far. Everyone at the hospital called him a miracle, since they didn’t know if he would even survive the coma."

Her family has deep roots on the North Fork, Stephanie said. Her father's parents own Farmer Mike's in Cutchogue, which has been in business since about 1970, she said. Her father, who grew up in Cutchogue and left only briefly to serve in the Army, recently retired after almost 40 years from his job as a clerk in the Mattituck post office.

"My mom recently retired from her job as a clerk at the Cutchogue post office, where she worked for almost 20 years," Stephanie said. "I've moved away a few times, but I keep getting pulled back to the North Fork somehow."

Stephanie has been working at Peconic Land Trust in Southampton for the past five years, but lives with her parents in Mattituck.

"We’re so proud of Dan for his courage and determination to get better. If anyone can make it through this, Dan can," she said. "Again, we’re so grateful for everyone who is supporting Dan through donations — or sharing his story. It means so much to Dan, myself, my parents, my brother Kyle, and Dan’s wife Natasha."

To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.

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