Steven Lewis

I'm Steve's sister Bonnie. On the morning of September 21, Steve had an ischemic stroke. Thankfully, his speech and cognition were unaffected, but he has limited movement in his left arm and leg. After a roller-coaster week of figuring out next steps, Steve is heading to Chicago to inpatient rehabilitation at Shirley Ryan Ability Center, formerly Rehab Institute of Chicago -- the #1 facility of its kind in the country! He will also have outpatient care there. 

We are so grateful to Steve's friend Craig for his diligent, loving care. He took Steve to the ER, stayed with him all day Friday and Saturday, and guided Dan when he arrived on Saturday. He continued to provide guidance and help during Dan's and my stays in Athens. And he and his husband Adrian have graciously offered to take care of things at Steve's house as needed while he is in Chicago. And Steve got absolutely fantastic care at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center; everyone was as nice as could be, with a special shout-out to our social worker Mary, who made countless calls to arrange Steve's inpatient services and transport.

Steve's entire Athens family has been wonderfully loving and supportive. Steve commented today that the many hospital visits have buoyed his spirits tremendously. `We're not surprised that he has a huge fan club, but we're really grateful for it and we know that when he returns to Athens, he will have many helping hands. Friends and family in Chicago are ready to embrace him and help him regain his strength and mobility. We don't know yet how long it will take, but it's clear that Steve is determined and anxious to plunge into his recovery. 

This CaringBridge site will be our primary means of keeping people posted on Steve's progress. When he feels ready, he'll write updates, but for now Dan and I will help him out with that. Steve would like people to feel free to pass along the link to this site to anyone you think might want to know.