But for months in 2020, the 43-year-old father was helpless.
Think back to the early days of COVID-19, about a year ago.
The planet collectively scrambled to study a new virus; spread the word on safety; figure out how humans could contract it; and figure out on the fly how to stop it from killing people.
Hospitals were strapped for resources, chiefly personal protective equipment. The only therapies available were experimental in treating the novel coronavirus.
Ellis case of COVID-19 was among the first and the worst in the state.
As he failed on ventilators at an Ocean County hospital, doctors were desperate to save the life of a young, relatively healthy father, husband and public servant.