In the aftermath: Spring Grove stroke victim's family recovering, too
In a dimly lit living room in Spring Grove, a television flickers with images of Iowa farm children amazed at the Chinese magician performing tricks onstage.
He presents a bouquet of flowers from a blanket. He makes live chickens appear out of nowhere. He creates the illusion of cutting his daughter in half.
But, like the starry-eyed audience in the 1982 video from the Iowa State Fair, the magician, DeYip "Louie" Loo, can only watch this younger version of himself wow people.
A stroke on July 29, 1998, robbed Louie, the first professional magician to perform on "The Bozo Show," of his ability to do magic. A World War II veteran and longtime fly fisherman who once appeared in Field & amp; Stream, Louie underwent high-risk brain surgery. He also received more than 10 months of intensive rehabilitation and today he is cared for by his daughter, Frances Mai-Ling and his wife, Arlene Louie.
"I can't do that anymore," said Louie, 80, after his daughter shut off the video. "I had a stroke."
According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 3 killer of Americans behind heart disease and cancer. About 700,000 people in the U.S. suffer a stroke each year and the condition is the leading cause of disability.
Mai-Ling still remembers that summer day when her dad was working in the yard. He suddenly collapsed.
"He said 'Frances, I had a stroke. Call 911,'" she said. "It was scary. They didn't expect him to survive."
While stroke recovery and survival is a painful and ongoing experience, part of what can ease the process is family, said Phyllis Wit, head of the Stroke Survivors Group in Sun City Huntley. The greatest gift loved ones can give stroke survivors is hope, she said.
"They have to remember they have had a stroke," Wit said. "They will not be the same, but that doesn't mean they can't get better. The fact that they're alive is one of the symptoms of getting better."
Hope and encouragement are exactly what Mai-Ling and her mother work to give Louie each day. Though he can no longer go on fly-fishing expeditions, Mai-Ling takes him to beginner fly-fishing clinics at McHenry County College. Arlene Louie created a bird habitat for her husband in the back yard where he used to tend to Bonsai trees and other plants. Mai-Ling and her mother also take Louie to flower shows at the Chicago Botanical Gardens.
"It's affected me and my family personally," Mai-Ling said. "Just by learning about [strokes] and knowing about it you kind of have a better idea of what to expect. Life changes dramatically. You look at life differently."
Arlene Louie also works with her husband on his speech and has him write letters every night.
"The writing helps him go from left to right," Mai-Ling said. "It processes what he did during the day."
Healthcare professionals say it is crucial to remember that after a stroke, the essence of a loved one remains.
"The person is still the same person they were before the stroke as far as their intelligence and emotions," said Rose Loftin, manager of inpatient rehab services at Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin. "Some people think because one side of their body can't move, they're different. They aren't different. How they look at life is still the same, even though they may look and sound different."
Loftin also said that recent advances in stroke treatment have given doctors the ability to better treat the condition if it's detected early.
Louie's family in May received a Heart and Stroke Heroes Caregiver Award from the American Heart Association. Mai-Ling, a concert pianist. includes information on her CDs about stroke warning signs and risk factors. A portion of her CD sales go toward the American Stroke Association, which is a division of the American Heart Association.
At 30, Mai-Ling also remains at home to help her mother care for Louie. She said she would give anything to have her father back to his full health.
Still, the experience over the last several years has helped her learn a great deal about the Chinese immigrant, a man who came to the U.S. as a child. A man who started his career by being a magician's assistant to greats like Harry Blackstone and Dante. A performer and entertainer who did some modeling when few Asians were used for advertisements.
"I'm just enjoying being able to be with my parents and take care of my dad," Mai-Ling said, standing in a back room completely decorated with Louie's old photos and mementos from his career. "When he had a stroke, we had to clean stuff up because magicians are pack rats. I never realized how handsome my dad was until after he had a stroke."
Signs of a stroke
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.
- If you or a loved one experience stroke symptoms, call 911 right away. Time lost is brain lost.
- People should be cautious of symptoms no matter what their age or how healthy. Even 25-year-olds can have strokes.
Source: American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association/ Provena St. Joseph Hospital
Information
Candi Bone Stroke Support Group, Gwen Gorman at Provena
St. Joseph Hospital, Elgin: (847) 695-3200, Ext. 5669
American Stroke Association: 1-888-478-7653.
Stroke information also is available at: www.strokeassociation.org.
By GENEVA WHITE
gwhite@nwnewsgroup.com
