Beloved NJ Man, 27, In Coma, Fighting For His Life After Fall

CEDAR GROVE – A New Jersey man and beloved uncle is fighting for his life after falling down the stairs, according to family and friends.

Cody Diorio, 27, of Cedar Grove was at a close friend's house when he slipped and fell down the basement stairs, according to the GoFundMe page, which has raised more than $70,000 toward its $100,000 goal.

In the Feb. 8 fall, Diorio hit his head on the basement floor but thought he was OK. There was no open wound on his head and he thought he was fine, the page said.

Later in the night, Diorio started to lose consciousness "and that is when it took a turn for the worst," the page said.

Diorio was immediately rushed to the hospital where it was discovered that he suffered severe head trauma. Diorio is fighting for his life right now, in an induced coma in the Intensive Care Unit.

"His family and loved ones sit and wait for any sign of positive news on this road to recovery," the page said. "The cost of staying in the ICU for one day is well over $5,000."

It's going to be a very long recovery process, too.

Diorio also suffered severe damage to his lungs during the fall, the page said. He is suffering from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome "which is not good at all," the page said.

"He cannot breathe on his own and until the doctors start to improve the health of his lungs they cannot do anything with his brain," the page said.

Diorio is "a kind, caring, and supportive son, brother, and friend. He is the type of person to do anything for you at the drop of a hat without thinking twice about it."

He's also known for his infectious laugh and tries to make true connections with everybody he meets, the page said. He recently became an uncle and just started a new job at Ralph Lauren.

The Diorio family is confident that Cody will pull through this. But they need help.

"We ask that you keep Cody and his family in your thoughts and prayers and continue to support the family by spreading this page to everybody you know."