|
Family life can never be the same again
By Peter Foley
When someone undergoes a life changing experience it does not solely
have an impact on that individual — it has a profound effect on
their entire family and sometimes beyond.
Tydavnet native John Kelly was a fit and active man who ran a successful
road marking business, had a close loving family and not a care in the
world up until last year.
Then while he was driving along the M5 motorway with his wife Margaret
and one of his five grandchildren he suddenly, without warning, lost all
sense of feeling on the right-hand side of his body.
Fortunately he managed to summon up the strength and retained the presence
of mind to steer the car on to the hard shoulder to prevent a potential
catastrophe for the Kelly family and avoid causing an accident on a busy
stretch of motorway.
Margaret knew something distinctly wrong had happened and called for an
ambulance on her mobile phone.
“That date — May 29, 2007 — lives with me forever, especially
the image of John being taken to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol,”
she recalled.
Four days later he was transferred to a specialist stroke unit at nearby
Southmead where the lengthy rehabilitation process got under way.
The impact was immediate on everyday life for his wife and their three
children — Bren-dan, Sinead and Gemma.
Even the housekeeping had to be reorganised as Margaret recalled: “My
husband is right-handed — the side affected by the stroke —
so he could no longer sign a cheque.
Daughter Sinead added: “We had only previously known people who
had been temporarily affected by strokes and had not been face-to-face
with someone undergoing such a lengthy rehabilitation process.
“It is only then that you realise exactly how someone you love has
their world turned upside down and appreciate the true impact on stroke
patients.”
John spent almost three months in hospital before being allowed to come
home but the treatment remains ongoing as he starts to overcome each successive
hurdle along the way with dogged determination.
I suggest parallels with his native Monaghan’s epic All-Ireland
clash with eventual football champions Kerry last year and this brings
an immediate smile to his face.
Getting out of the wheelchair, standing up unsupported and being able
to climb the stairs to his own bedroom was eventually achieved after five
months of hard work.
In addition to building up the strength on the weaker side of his body,
John’s next task is to get back to talking properly — something
he tackles daily using a programme on the family computer.
And the next target is to be fit enough to get back to Monaghan and also
visit his wife’s hometown of Cookstown later this year.
John’s battle to overcome his illness also highlighted to the family
the increasing role of charities in helping with the rehabilitation process
— often plugging the gaps not covered by Britain’s National
Health Service.
The Bristol Area Stroke Foundation has proved a lifeline to the family
and now they want to give something back in return.
Sinead and Brendan, who have since taken over the running of the family
firm, came up with the idea of staging a fundraising event on St. Patrick’s
night.
And they hope as many people as possible will turn out for the dinner
and dance at the Bristol Thistle Hotel on Monday, March 17.
Sinead said: “We can accommodate 400 at the venue and it would be
great to put up the ‘house full’ signs.”
Tickets cost £35 per head or £300 for a table of 10 and
can be obtained by calling Sinead on 01454 312675 or 07785 716016. |
