Sam McKarris Stroke Surgery & Recovery Fundraiser

To my family, friends and anyone else taking the time to read this,

This is my dad, Semaan, known to his friends as Sam, Sammy, pops, S, Khal.

I'm writing this on his behalf as he continues to conquer some unnerving side effects from the right- hemispheric stroke(s) he's had beginning October of ‘21.

While it’s been debilitatingly hard to open up on the subject, the past 10 months have taken a tremendous financial and emotional toll on my mom and dad, one that they have been enduring almost silently and single-handedly.

The medical bills are beginning to pile so high that I had to put them against the wall to stop them from toppling over; which is why I am asking for your help.

If you cannot help financially, encouragement for both my parents is just as important: my mom has been a HERO through all of this, but as you can imagine, this has been a challenging road, and at times, quite lonely….

Background

My name is Norman McKarris. I’m his oldest son, his best friend, and his #1 fan.

My dad loves feeding others, chatting up strangers in lobbies, spoiling his dog, giving people nicknames (and receiving them…) His biggest dream is to live near the beach and run his own restaurant, Sammy’s Grill, where he can make and sell his homemade hummus.

In 2019, he and my mom, Elizabeth, made their first big step toward this goal and moved to Charleston, SC and in 2021, purchased a parcel of land to finally start building their dream home.

A few months later, those dreams were shattered when both my parents contracted COVID. Mom thankfully made a full recovery, but Pops continued to grow tiresome.

October 6th seemed like a normal school day, as my mom returned to her 2nd grade classroom. A few hours through the day, the office receptionist called her classroom phone and sounded frantic. "Call your husband", she said. It’s an emergency.

Back at home, Pops had attempted to get out of bed but found he was too weak. Thinking it was a head rush that will tide over, he proceeded to get up, only to take a few steps and collapse to the floor. His left side was not responding and a shooting pain raced down that side. Home alone and petrified, all he could do was lay on the floor cuddled up next to our dog, who stayed by his side, licking his left side until my Dad successfully reached his phone.

Dad was rushed by ambulance to Trident Medical Center, where he had an emergency thrombectomy, removing 3 clots from his brain, which we are SO thankful for. He stayed in intensive care for 8 days, after which he was moved to progressive care.

What the specialists discovered during that time were the largest clots resided in the middle cerebral artery, responsible for higher cognitive functions such as social interaction, problem solving, motor functions, and impulse control. Dad has suffered from just short of complete paralysis of his left side and suffers from aphasia, meaning at times he has trouble understanding, concentrating, and speaking.

Since then, he has endured a seemingly unending series of trials; a series of seizures and mini-strokes, physical injuries sustained in rehabilitation, termination from work and unfortunately, the loss of his mother (whose service he was unable to attend, as this was quite soon after the stroke.)

He is learning to walk again and trying to regain function of his left arm and leg. Unfortunately, we just found out his right carotid artery is 100% blocked and the vertebral has a few more blockages that should be taken out immediately. We are seeing a specialized stroke team at MUSC to inquire whatever we need to do to stop the root of the cause, which most likely requires another risky and expensive operation- a stent needed in his neck to prevent further clotting.

Until then, my dad is currently back at home, where my mom, sister and I have been his primary caregiver. He is still in and out of a multitude of facilities and at this time, still requiring around the clock care. In leu of Mom returning to teaching soon, my sister and I have swiftly moved from Louisville, KY and back in with my parents in Charleston, SC until we can get Pops back on his feet independently.

Our hope is to soften the financial blow of the five month long inpatient hospital stays, the countless ambulance rides, ongoing rehab, as well as give my dad the quality continuity of care and durable medical equipment he needs to maximize his chances of regaining the strength and confidence he deserves.

Thank you, from the absolute bottom of my heart for reading, sharing, and helping in whatever way you can. Whether it be financial, emotional, or informational, the smallest donation will go a long way. Thank you to all the badass healthcare workers we have met in the process, some amazing physical therapists who have helped us in ways we couldn’t fathom, our RN Care Manager, MUSC stroke team, and everyone else who has blessed us with their selfless care. I know my family has a long road ahead of us, but I also know we are stronger in numbers. We cannot continue to do this alone.

Thank you all for reaching out to me. I promise to try and keep updates posted from now on.

Timeline

Sep. 28 - Dad got COVID

Oct. 6 - Dad had a stroke and surgery

Oct. 23 - Moved to acute care for therapy

Nov. 17 - Moved to Skilled Nursing Facility

Jan. 13 - Moved to MUSC/Encompass acute care

Feb. 3 - Dad came home | Mom and Norman took family leave

May 12 - Dad returned to MUSC/Encompass

May 16 - Mom returned to work

June 3 - Dad returned home

July 4 - Norman and Natalie moved in to their temporary apartment to help

Sept 4 - Seizure, rushed to Trident ER and observed for 2 days