More About Me
In the end of June we went to Boston, walked around Harvard, talked about visiting MIT and spent quality time with family who was in town for work. We had a wonderful time and looked forward to our trip to see more family in Georgia in the middle of July. We had a blast, we went to see a Braves game at their new stadium, we went to SRP Park for a minor league baseball game and spent time with our cousins. The trip was incredible and on the 21st of July we headed home.
That takes us to July 25th! A day no one in our family will ever forget! It was a pretty typical morning with Foxy (our sons Noah’s nickname) having a dermatology appointment at 2:30 pm. We headed home and just hung around for a couple of hours. Around 6:00 we headed outside as we do almost every day to have a lacrosse catch. It was Noah, his brother and myself all having a good time and just chucking the ball around. A neighbor came over and I stopped to talk about how her family was, her son’s college decision coming up and how we enjoyed our trips. We were getting ready to go to Dick’s Sporting Goods to buy a football to get signed. We were heading to Baltimore Ravens training camp in the morning and I thought it would be a great keepsake for the boys. They went inside to get ready as I started the car.
I have relived the next moments ten thousand times! Foxy came through the door into the garage. He said “dad I am not joking, my arm is numb, my leg is numb, my head hurts and if you don’t come give me a hug I am going to fall.” Just looking in his eyes I knew he was being serious and I immediately grabbed him, assured him he was ok (probably just panicking) and I walked him slowly into the house and onto our living room sofa. I had him sit down and we talked. His brother got him a glass of water and his hand was shaking almost uncontrollably. I tried to remain calm outwardly as inside I was beginning to freak out. I asked him to raise his hands above his head as I was worried he may be having a stroke. I read a lot and it seemed like that is what it could be and I wanted to rule it out!! He was able to raise his hands so I begin to feel a bit better. His speech was noticeably slurred, and he was not sounding like himself. I asked him to repeat a sentence. I truly don’t remember exactly what it was but something like the blue bus builds big wheels. I wanted to hear him say it ok, but he was not able to. I asked him to open his mouth and stick out his tongue. Much to my horror it was tilted to the side. In my heart I knew he was having a stroke. All of this happened in literally 2 minutes. I told his brother “to go get mom. Have her call 911, tell her I think Noah is having a stroke and it is important!” She freaked out but did call 911 right away! It seemed like it took forever as we all congregated around him. We kept talking, we kept him engaged, we did not let him freak out. After about 8 minutes, the ambulance showed up. We explained everything, they began testing and they concluded it was just a panic attack. We did not agree. His whole right side had pretty much stopped working and his speech was failing. He could not move the right side of his lips. I asked the EMT to take him right away to the hospital. He felt it was just panic and probably didn’t need to go. We pleaded and he agreed “out of an abundance of caution”. We walked him out of the house to the stretcher. I could barely hold him up! Not sure why they had us walk him outside instead of placing him on the stretcher inside. Hours earlier while working out, Noah was leg pressing almost 500 pounds and now he could barely stand. We went to GBMC (Greater Baltimore Medical Center) and the ambulance was there in no time flat. They were ready for us. I had texted a friend who works at their ER and he assured me Noah was in good hands! Within minutes GBMC had rushed Foxy back for a test. I could see the looks on the faces of the Doctors and nurses and knew this was not good. Their eyes told the story and my wife and I were in full fledge panic mode! I don’t recall exactly what they ran but within 5 minutes A doctor came over to us and said Noah is having a stroke and we are in the wrong place! He needs to be at Hopkins, they are the very best for this and the ambulance is getting ready for you!
As the nightmare continues to unfold, we are now on our way to Hopkins. Noah is still talking, still smiling and doing what he can to stay calm. He was remarkable although I am not sure he really knew the magnitude of what was going on! We made it to Hopkins in no time at all. I can’t thank the ambulance driver enough and Hopkins was ready. They rushed us in, took Noah almost right away and within 10 minutes my wife’s cell phone rang. Less than 3 hours from our lacrosse catch the phone was ringing with an out of state number. She didn’t answer. The phone rang again almost instantly she handed me the phone. It was the Dr. with a deep accent and that is when he asked us to sign the consent as Foxy was literally fighting for his life.
After nearly three hours the Doctor stopped the procedure as he felt it was simply too dangerous to proceed. He felt that Noah would have never survived if he had continued and they were placing him on a blood thinner. We had been told that this Doctor was the Babe Ruth of what he does, and in our minds he had decided to take himself out of the game in the bottom of the ninth for a pinch hitter. We were devastated, frightened, panicked and praying.
Thankfully, The Doctor made the perfect call. Foxy had survived and although there was significant cognitive damage, a complete inability to move his right side, concern about his ability to live we had hope that he was going to make it. We did not know if we were going to have to carry him up steps for the rest of his life, if he would be able to walk, if he would ever think like he had before but thankfully he was still able to share his warm and welcoming smile and personality.
After days in PICU where we did test after test, and almost a month at Kennedy Krieger doing rehabilitation (where on his first day they asked him to name 3 animals and he couldn’t) Foxy was able to come back home! He walked through the door! Although there was a significant limp, and his coordination was way off, he was home and we were thrilled!! He spent four to five hours a day in therapies (speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and behavioral psychology). It was intense but Foxy kept improving slowly! Minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day! He was relentless and was adamant about working longer and harder than the therapists would allow him to be pushed! A few months later, he returned to high school in a limited capacity while doing therapy each day! The hours were long, the work was hard but he was up to the task! His last quarter of his tenth grade school year he was back to getting all A’s and even with the Covid 19 pandemic he was still working and striving like nobody’s business! We would love to stress that time is of the essence when you or someone you love is having a stroke! Do not wait! If you think something is wrong err on the side of caution.
Today Noah is back in school full time! He is taking honors level courses and maintaining excellent grades. He has begun coaching soccer (with one of his former club soccer coaches) trying to help 6 and 7 years old kids feel the joy and fire he had for The Beautiful Game! He still participates on his High School Robotics Team (which finished fourth at World’s his Freshman year). When we use the term Ultimate Stroke Of Luck we truly mean it! So many things could have gone so much worse and this story could have had a tragic ending! We thank our lucky stars each day that he is back to himself. Shining, smiling, competing and thriving! A day doesn’t go by where we do not appreciate the time we have together, the moments we get to share and the bright future that he will have. It is our hope by telling Foxy’s story and letting people know that day by day things can improve! It may not be perfect but growth and optimism should abound! A life’s journey can start with just one small step! We believe Noah will end up helping so many people and his impact on other’s will be the beginning of his Ultimate Stroke of Luck!!!
