If you take out your garbage cans to the curb, you don’t expect a life threatening or life changing event to happen. But it did to long time Club member and past Club President Jim Pilcher.
This one single task has changed his life forever. He tripped, fell down, had trauma to his head and suffered a stroke all in the same instant.
Can you imagine his wife, Lorene, racing to help him when she saw him face down in the driveway? Calling 911 for assistance, his doctor, and riding with him to the hospital’s trauma center in the ambulance! And then discover there wasn’t a CT scanner available, so the doctor said he couldn’t administer a ‘blockage blocker’ medication that could possibly save his life?
Because time is of the essence in stroke cases, before the brain dies because of lack of oxygen, a CT scan has to be done within 60 minutes of the trauma, so this medication can be injected into the body.
If this medication is not given to the patient, there are physical and mental disabilities that develop; memory loss, lack of eye/hand coordination, impairment of walking skills, and balance problems.
Jim said we all have ‘elements of a stroke’ in us. And strokes are the 3rd major killer in the United States behind cancer and heart disease.
He also said we all must be mindful of ‘what our bodies are telling us’, what stroke symptoms we should be wary of:
Jim said he had some of these symptoms before his stroke but didn’t pay enough attention to what his body ‘was telling him’. So he is telling to Club to ‘wake up’ and pay attention. You could be the next stroke victim.
Currently Jim is doing well with his therapy. But it’s been a difficult fight to come back and‘re-learn’ many of the motor skills he and we take for granted.
Congratulations, Jim, with your ongoing recovery and your strength of character to stand up in front of the Club and tell your story.
Caroline Vant Erve’s sister-in-law has been moved to a hospice and isn’t expected to live. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family. Her business e-mail is : caroline.vanterve@suntrust.com or her mailing address is: 2453 Wind Ridge Drive, NE, Conyers, Ga. 30013.
Jerry Hitt has graciously volunteered to help with the A.M.I.S. project in the absences of Caroline.
Club President Sherry Neal said she and four other Club members plan to attend this year’s convention in Peachtree City.
This year’s lake house party will take place on September 6th.
Holiday decorating and adopting families for the holidays are high on the list of things yet to be done at the shelter. 18 families are currently in the shelter. More information to follow.
Volunteers are needed to watch the children while the parents attend a required parenting class at the shelter. How are your babysitting skills?
Contact the shelter at 404-522-6056 or e-mail AMcbride@genesisanewlife.org.
Project chair Kevin Isakson has interclub meetings scheduled for August 18th at the Buckhead Club and another meeting August 26th. More information to follow.
Guest and friend of Burt Manning and ‘prospective member’ Tim Daugherty, was present at this morning’s meeting.
Other Guests included: Ted Speaker, Claude Grizzard, Bob Wiggins, Jack McFarland, Fred Smith, Ron Weeks, and Laura McCantz.
Special guest, teenager Ms. Katie Beck, was the proud partner of President-Elect Bob Bodimer this morning’s meeting also.
All project reports consisting of the number of Club members involved in projects, monies spent, and/or the number of recipients of Club efforts and activities are needed for the Club monthly Report for Kiwanis International. Send this information to: SEB1119@aol.com.
Back to the Newsletter Archive