“I was at a taping of the Monique show in downtown Atlanta when I had a stroke. The ambulance took me to the nearest hospital. The doctors there told my wife and my mother that I would never walk again,” said Ronald Love of his stroke on February 17, 2011.
“I’m a marathon runner – I’ve been running several full marathons, plus a bunch of half-marathons and 10Ks every year. So the possibility of not walking – I couldn’t wrap my head around it.”
Once he was stable enough to be moved, Ron transferred to WellStar Cobb Hospital for inpatient rehab. Over his month-long stay, the Powder Springs resident really got
to know his care team.
“Everyone was fantastic – my occupational therapist, speech therapists, the nurses and especially one of my physical therapists, Karen Heffron. She understood my vision to not just walk, but also to run again, and was really aggressive in my therapy to help make that happen.
“Since I was discharged from the hospital, I’ve been working with the outpatient therapists and on my own at the gym with help from my children, family and friends.
And I’ve been walking at the track with my wife, more and more without assistance. I’m slowly getting my normal gait back. My goal is to run a marathon next year.
“It’s not just a matter of retraining my body, it’s a matter of retraining my brain. I’m regaining my physical and mental stamina. I’m even working from home now. And soon,
I’ll be heading back to the office, where I work as a Financial Reporting Manager, and my regular routine. I am grateful for the concern and prayers of my family, friends and coworkers. God is good and all is well!”