Chelsea's Run for David's Healing Journey & Stroke Awareness

My name is Chelsea and I am running the Pittsburgh Half Marathon on May 4th to raise funds for the Stroke Support Association. This would give this organization funds to put towards stroke education, stroke support groups, and hospital visitors to make sure people are not alone during their recovery. There is no better time to do it than May during Stroke Awareness Month!

My dad, David, had a stroke on November 13, 2024, and was admitted to a hospital 45 minutes from our house after being life-flighted from the hospital right around the corner. He was discharged and went back to the ER the following day because he forgot he even had the first stroke. He was then scheduled for a craniotomy to remove the venous abnormality that caused the stroke.

After getting discharged post-op, he was doing great and on the road to recovery! He then started experiencing focal seizures again, and the memory loss worsened. It turned out that the space that the abnormality left had filled with blood instead of cerebrospinal fluid. Over the past couple of weeks, he has been in and out of the hospital experiencing multiple focal seizures a night and many frustrated moments where he could not remember a conversation we just had or think of a word he was trying to say.

As I started my training for the half, my dad kept saying he was jealous and that he wished he was able to run or even just go on his normal morning walks. So I thought, why not run this for him and make a change while I do it. I chose to donate to the Stroke Support Association because of their emphasis on a support system and never letting a survivor or family member be alone. This has been such a tough time for not only my dad but my family as a whole. He is such a vital part to make our house a "home," and his absence while being in the hospital has been so hard for my mom and our doggos. This experience continues to make the three of us so much stronger and realize that we should not take a hard day for granted because it can turn into a much worse day so easily.

I love you, Dad! I'm gonna rock this half marathon just like you have been rocking your recovery!