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Community Corner

My Brother Jack Suffers a Stroke

A family crisis puts many things in perspective. Jack McGrath suffers a stroke, Mary McGrath, a regular contributor, writes about it.

I got the call in the thick of night while on vacation in Florida.

“Jack’s had a stroke,” wailed my twin sister Teresa. It felt like it was 3 a.m., but it was actually 6:30. Even in a crisis, my sister remained considerate to deliver the news.

It was surreal.  My mind stumbled like I was starring in some Stephen King movie as I tried to decipher the message. I took the mobile phone into the living room and tried to focus on what was happening.  Stroke? No way. I’m dreaming and haven’t woken up yet. 

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But this was no dream, and it was happening to my brother Jack, who just moved to Port Hueneme with his wife Pauline whose fair British complexion had tired of the brutal summers of Studio City.  About 10 minutes south of Oxnard, the move there was to ease into a better way of life, a better way of living.

My twin sister became the point person in our family, since I was out of town. Teresa is an expert in our family when it comes to medical issues, and she was instrumental in helping us understand what was happening.

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Over the next 48 hours, we monitored his situation via emails, phone calls, and whatever communication was necessary to impart his progress.

Should we fly in and get to him as soon as possible? Should we wait and let him rest? How much news should be dispensed to family and friends? What was the role of privacy in these types of situations? But most of all is he going to live?

We’ve all dealt with family emergencies.  The last major family challenge we had was when my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1999. Every morning I would awaken with this cloudy feeling of dread, and here I am again, dealing with another catastrophic situation.  My sister Teresa coordinated our schedules, and soon, we were all headed to Port Hueneme.

Over the past few days, we have visited with my brother and his wife Pauline, and thankfully, my brother is doing very well. We took walks on the beach, shared some lovely meals, and memories. It was truly a poignant and meaningful family reunion.

Thankfully, it was only a minor stroke, and unless you knew him well, you’d never guess that a week ago, we wondered if we were going to lose another family member.

You see, my brother is a fighter. In more ways than one, he is a trooper, a true testament to the will of survival, and succeeding over adversity. 

Growing up in Studio City, my brother was a football player, a baseball champion, and has been competitive in any endeavor he has undertaken.  And this is the part of his character that I’m sure has come into play in a situation like this, where will can triumph over any difficult challenge.

I’m so thankful to his wife Pauline for managing this crisis in true heroic fashion. I thank my twin sister Teresa for being the point person in getting the family together to visit him in Port Hueneme.  I thank whatever powers came into play to ensure his survival.  Call it faith, the supernatural, positive thinking or all of you who extended their concern, prayers and well wishes.

My brother is alive and well, and on the road to recovery.

I can breathe again.

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