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The Long Island husband and father was left in a coma after being struck by a van while bicycling near his Wainscott home in May 2023.
“We received a knock on our front door from the police that turned our lives upside down,” his son Tyler said on a GoFundMe to help the family with medical expenses.
Yusko, a “top salesman” at P.C. Richard & Son appliance store in Southampton, suffered devastating injuries in the crash, including swelling and bleeding in his brain, leaving him unconscious.
He also broke three ribs and suffered a broken sternum and eye socket, along with a fractured tibia.
When relatives arrived at the hospital hours later, they didn’t know if he was dead or alive, his son said.
“The sight of seeing him in that moment was an image that we will never forget,” the younger Yusko said, noting the stark contrast to his dad’s typical happy and funny demeanor.
“To see him like this: unresponsive, machines helping him breathe, and tubes draining blood from his brain, was a sight that none of us were prepared for.”
A month would go before Yusko opened his eyes for the first time, a milestone the family called “a huge baby step in the right direction.”
Over the summer, he continued to progress, increasingly moving his arms and legs but still not speaking.
In July, Yusko was transferred to the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, New Jersey after spending 66 days at Stony Brook University Hospital.
“He still has a trach, and a feeding tube, and is unaware of his surroundings. Jeff is still considered to be in a minimally conscious state,” relatives said in late September.
“Our family continues to pray for the moment when Jeff is able to speak to us. We hang on every moment to once again hear his laugh, to see that smile again, to hear his voice again.”
On Friday, Nov. 3, Yusko’s family said he was nearing the end of his time at the Kessler Institute and would be coming home “sometime soon.”
“Jeff is battling day in and day out throughout his physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy,” they said.
The family is now working on setting up in-home nursing and trying to get a handicap-accessible vehicle that can accommodate his wheelchair.
To help offset their costs, they’ve planned a fundraising raffle and auction from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at The Clubhouse, located in East Hampton at 174 Daniels Hole Road.
“Please join us to cheer on Jeff with us as we continue to fight with him!” Tyler Yusko said.
As of Friday, the campaign had raised over $130,000 toward its $250,000 goal.
Those who wish to support the GoFundMe can do so here.
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