Huron Expositor, 2009-03-04, Page 7•
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The Huron Expositor • March 4, 2009 Page 7
ersonal experiences with strokes and heart
disease motivate residents to do fundraising
Susan Hundertmark
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While it's been close to five years
since they've raised money for the
Heart and Stroke Foundation, resi-
dents at the Seaforth Manor decided
to start up a campaign again this
year and are hoping to raise at least
$200.
"We looked around and realized
we've witnessed a lot of heart and
stroke problems here at the Manor
so we decided to get back to the fund-
raising," says Pat Ryan, president of
the residents' council at the Seaforth
Manor.
Ryan says residents have never
raised more than $100 for the Heart
and Stroke Foundation but decided
to aim a little higher. They surpassed
a goal of $150 by selling hearts that
are displayed on the corridor wall
and have set another goal of $200
they hope to reach this week.
"We're selling the hearts mainly to
residents but some to the staff. We
feel it's a great organization," says
Ryan.
Residents Wayne Ward and Tom
Fletcher, who have bought 33 hearts
so far between the two of them, have
both had health problems with heart
attacks and strokes.
Ward had a stroke in 2001 and a
heart attack six months ago. His
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Tom Fletcher, Wayne Ward and Pat Ryan,
Hearts, created to allow residents to sup
father died of a heart attack, his
mother had a triple heart bypass op-
eration and a brother has had three
heart attacks.
tney-Ribey Funeral Home
A Family Owned Business Since 1975
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Susan Hundertmark photo
all residents of Seaforth Manor, stand in front of the Wall of
much of his stay
at University
Hospital in Lon-
don afterwards.
Fletcher says
he weighed over
400 pounds
when he had his
last stroke and
has since • lost
200 pounds. Af-
ter the stroke,
he had to relearn
how to speak and
he's still relearn-
ing how to walk.
"I call it my
adventure. • It's
taken a lot of
work," he says,
adding that
while he's still
in a wheelchair,
he can now walk
a. •100 -metre
stretch through
the hallways
of the Manor, a
walk he tries to
take every day.
•"You have to
port the Heart and Stroke Foundation.• •be very deter -
"I bought a heart for every member mined and stubborn. If you just give
of my family. It's a good cause," says up, you'll never get better," he says,
Ward. adding he was told by doctors after
Ward has lived at the Seaforth his stroke that he would never walk
Manor for the past four years as he again.
works at recovering from his stroke. A member of a stroke group at the
"I've been in a wheelchair since Betty Cardno Centre, he also loves
I came here and I'm still not com- going swimming with the group at
pletely recovered but I'm hoping to the Vanastra pool.
go home soon," he says. Fletcher says he's grateful that the
Ward says he and his wife are plan- stroke did not change his personal-
ning to renovate their Market Street ity, the way it can for some stroke
home so that it is accessible for his patients.
wheelchair. • s "I was glad 1 was able to keep my
Fletcher has suffered two strokes, mind. You can change a lot after a
one in 2000 and one in 1992, both in stroke but I'm still pretty much my -
the month ofAugust. He says strokes self," he says.
run in his family since both parents And, while he continues to work on
had strokes and a grandfather died increasing the distance he can walk,
of a stroke. Fletcher is also hoping he'll be able
After his last stroke, a friend found to move out of the Manor someday
him laying unconscious in his home into a home of his own back in Clin-
in Clinton. ton.
"I remember waking up and hear- • "You have to have the mind set
ing her in my house and thinking, that you will, get better - you've got
Good, she found me' and then I went to dpside it," he says.
jcJ t9t41011)r three months," he
says, adding he tibbAntarertmbtr
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