Support Adam's Stroke Recovery Journey

Hi, I’m Adam!

I have been struggling with multiple health issues since late 2019 and have been unable to work since then. I finally qualified for disability years after that, but it’s barely enough to get by to begin with…

On Monday, Sept 2nd, shortly before 6 am, I started to stand up because I had a cramp in my leg. I failed to stand and fell to the floor. I alerted my partner that I needed 911 because I was having a stroke. They arrived pretty quickly but needed backup because I’m a big friendly giant (6’8’’ 380lbs) who lives on the 3rd floor of a 100+ yr old house. There ended up being 10+ paramedics and other rescue workers that carried me down two sets of stairs that twist and a narrow hallway to a gurney parked in the driveway. The ambulance went to the hospital 5 mins away into the ER. A CAT scan confirmed a brain bleed caused by a ruptured blood vessel due to very high blood pressure. This type of stroke needs a neuro ICU that our ER doesn’t have. They called for a life flight helicopter to Hartford Hospital since they do.

I've been in three different areas of the hospital since I got here Monday am. I lost most feeling and ability to consciously move my left arm/leg, and have speech issues due to numbness on the side of my face. My next stop is a physical rehabilitation facility where I will have both physical and speech therapy. The doctors are hoping to get me there on or before Tuesday, pending insurance approval, and some other nonsense.

My loyal partner has been driving each day from near Eastern College in Willimantic to Hartford Hospital every day since Monday and will continue to do so to wherever I end up next for however long this takes. Due to this, she’s paying for gas, daily parking (at a hospital, seriously!?), food at the overpriced cafeteria and/or stopping at a grocery store on the way… And all of this while not being able to go to work/get paid and has no leave, vacation pay, or anything else like that. We also have furry children in the form of rescue kitties who need food, litter, and other cat things.

I need my partner's help and support, and will continue to, but my poverty-level disability check won’t pay all the bills that she usually pays. I'm here, hoping, that some people will be willing to help a big friendly Viking-looking giant make ends meet and have my partner here to support me as well.

Thank you for reading! Think of us, please!