Virgil Lewis
Virgil Lewis Jr.
Dec. 25, 1954-Mar.28, 2010
My dad, Virgil, had a hemorrhagic stroke on Jan. 16, 2010, which caused bleeding on the brain near the brain stem. The saddest and most heartbreaking knowledge for me to handle is that dad could of prevented his stroke, but like most people, my dad thought that it would never happen to him. Dad had CHF (congestive heart failure) and he was an insulin dependent diabetic. Dad refused to take care of his diabetes and as a result his veins became hard and his blood was as thick as syrup. That is what caused him to have his stroke. Jan. 16, 2010 is a day that I will never forget, it was the last time I ever heard my dad’s voice. Dad hung on until Mar. 28, 2010 but he never woke up and was never able to talk to us. Dad was 55 years old when he died. My dad didn’t have to die but because he refused to believe that anything like that would happen to him we lost him. My dad was my best friend and life without him is hard, everyday is a struggle for me. So after my dad died, I made a promise to help anyone at risk for a stroke to fully understand what can happen to them. I also want them to understand that if they choose not to take care of themselves it not only affects them, it affects all those who love them. When dad died I blamed myself, I thought that if I had only made him take care of himself he would still be here today. I know that you can’t make someone do what they don’t want to do but that thought doesn’t help with the guilt that I feel. I want everyone to know that this is how your family feels no matter what. I want to let people at risk for a stroke understand that you can prevent a stroke and those who love you want you to be around for a long time to enjoy life with them.
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