Lockport man receives 10,000th vaccine at Silver Cross

Husband and wife Robert and Joan and Otte of Lockport recently made history at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox by receiving milestone doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Joan was the hospital’s 9,999th vaccine recipient and Robert was the 10,000th, according to a news release from Silver Cross Hospital, which credited the administrative director of pharmacy services Frank Butler with the news.

Both Joan and Robert are 75 and originally from Elk Grove Village. They relocated a few years ago to be closer to their family, Silver Cross said.

In October, the couple had received an email invitation to attend a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, so they signed up to get the vaccine together. Their son-in-law was hospitalized with COVID-19 last November but, thankfully, the son recovered, Silver Cross said.

Joan underwent a robotic-assisted gallbladder surgery at Silver Cross through the hospital’s Midwest Institute for Robotic Surgery. Robert had a carotid artery procedure through the hospital’s Neuroscience Institute.

Silver Cross performed its first mass vaccination in early December.

Since then, the hospital has also vaccinated area law enforcement officers, EMS/firefighters and nearly 4,000 Will County teachers, Silver Cross Said. This week, the hospital began vaccinating individuals 65 years and older.

Since the pandemic began, Silver Cross has cared for nearly 2,000 COVID-19 patients and performed more than 48,000 COVID-19 tests, Silver Cross said.

For more information about Silver Cross, visit silvercross.org