Szilveszter Csollány was against the vaccine for a very long time. Eventually, because of his work in Austria, he was required to obtain ‘protection’, so, finally, in November 2021, he changed his mind.
Researcher Dr Tamás Letoha stated that his GP had informed him that Csollány had received the Janssen vaccine two weeks before he was hospitalised, but he was probably already ill at that point, said hirtv.hu.
Possible lung transplant
Since the coronavirus destroyed his body, Csollány was waiting for a lung transplant. Unfortunately, it was not possible to perform the procedure on the former Olympic champion. After nearly two months of fighting, on Monday, the coronavirus defeated his body. The athlete was transported to the hospital in early December. First, he was put on a ventilator, and then, since it was still not possible to get enough oxygen into his body, he received treatment for lung surgery.
This was our first article about him being hospitalised:
According to the information of Blikk.hu, Csollány’s lungs were so damaged because of Covid that it quickly became clear that a transplant would be necessary.
He was on the waiting list
“As a result of the coronavirus infection, the patient developed end-stage lung destruction and was placed on Eurotransplant’s emergency waiting list,” said Dr Ferenc Rényi-Vámos. “At the international level, a small number of lung transplants have been required so far due to the coronavirus disease, and this was the first such case in Hungary.”
Unfortunately, Csollány’s condition did not allow the transplant to be performed, and his body eventually gave up the fight.
He got up several times after being knocked down
Csollány was a celebrated hero, but his private life was not just about huge successes. The Olympic, World, and European Champion gymnast had to face several obstacles.
“I, too, thought it would be a lot easier after I won the Olympics, and then I soon realised that I still had to fight for everything,” he confessed in an interview years ago.
Despite the Olympic annuity, he had to struggle to make ends meet after taking out a Swiss franc-based, insurance-linked loan for their family home. He took on a variety of jobs and worked as a bartender for a year and a half. He loved to train children, but he had little opportunity to do so in Hungary. He was fired from the gymnastics club in Sopron. He toured as a trainer in Switzerland, Iceland, and most recently in Austria.
“It’s not easy for someone to be with me. But I’m not a dangerous person, I just don’t like pointless and stupid things,” said the gymnast, who many considered stubborn.
He also experienced crises in his private life. His first wife gave birth to a daughter, who is now 23 years old (Simona) and lives in Dublin. He lived happily in his second marriage, raising two daughters with his partner, Judit: 16-year-old Kitti and 13-year-old Kincső.
Rest in peace, Champion!
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