Vermont marathon hits close to the Gallaghers' heart
Published on June 7th, 2006
Stoneham resident John Gallagher knew he was in trouble, and only one thought raced across his mind: Get home to my family.
And although friends and family members regularly questioned that decision in the aftermath of that night, his frantic desire to be with his family just may have been the then 46-year-old's saving grace.
Nearly two-years-ago, the Brighton-native was driving to his home after work when his entire right-side started to go numb. For the father-of-three, who lost his own 41-year-old dad when he was just 10-years-old, he just couldn't shake that tremendous urge to see his family.
And so despite his realization that something was seriously wrong, Gallagher raced home and immediately climbed the stairs to his bedroom, where his wife Christine was waiting - although unaware of her husband's attack.
"When it happened, I thought about going to the hospital, but I really just wanted to see my family. And when I went up to Christine, she knew right away," recalled Gallagher, who suffered from blurred vision and the paralysis of his entire right-side by the time he climbed the stairs to his wife.
Hours later, with the feeling completely returning to his body, doctors informed the couple that Christine's premonition was correct: John had just experienced a stroke.
Immediately placing him on blood-thinners to prevent future blood clots from cutting off oxygen to his brain, doctors would later identify the larger cause of the attack, a small hole in his heart - the very same condition that led to prominent Patriot's linebacker Teddy Bruschi's recent stroke.
"So many people just don't know what's going on, and a lot of times, it ends up being too late. We did catch it in time. He was very, very fortunate that he didn't suffer any long-term limitations," commented Christine, who was able to recognize her husband's symptoms after she witnessed her grandmother suffer a stroke weeks prior.
Partially to raise more awareness about the symptoms of a stroke - which include paralysis on one side of the body, blurred vision or speech problems, and repeated headaches - the Hillside Avenue wife recently participated in the American Stroke Association's Train-to-End-Stroke-Program.
Completing a 26-mile marathon in Vermont for the charity last Memorial Day, the Stoneham mother raised more than $5,000 for the non-profit organization. In order to sign-up for the event, which has raised over $23 million for stroke research and education, runners must raise a minimum of $2,900.
"I normally run for just my own personal reasons. So this was really the first time I chose to run for a cause," explained Christine, who normally doesn't jog for more than 10 kilometers at a time. "It was a great experience because a lot of people were first time marathoners."
"I would definitely do it again for the American Stroke Association, but it's not like I have the marathon bug or anything," joked the Reading-native, who was provided with a personal trainer to help her prepare for the event.
According to John, he couldn't be more proud of his wife's recent accomplishment, especially since it affords his family the opportunity to reach-out to those who might not have been as fortunate as he was.
Equally as important, the 48-year-old believes, Christine has helped bring about more awareness about strokes, especially when it comes to educating the public about the fact that the brain clots don't just strike the elderly.
"There were so many young people that we met at the hospital. It really is a common thing. In my case, I don't smoke, I don't drink, and I was in pretty good shape," the Hillside Avenue resident explained.
"In my case, my doctor said that I really was a time-bomb ready to go-off," recalled John. "I guess the old saying, 'life is short', is true. And to have a second chance here is very humbling."
To learn more about the causes, conditions, and affects of strokes, or to learn more about the American Stroke Association's Train-to-End-Stroke-Program, logon to www.strokeassociation.org.
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