Hi All,
I assume you are here to read about what happened to the universally beloved Mr. Kyle Cornille. On the morning of June 13th, Mr. Cornille suffered a brainstem stroke. Unlike most strokes this type does not present with the usual symptoms and is very very rare in someone as young as Mr. Cornille. He was rushed to the hospital and had surgery to remove the clot from his neck and brain. Due to the severity of the clot and its location, Mr. Cornille was diagnosed with Locked-In Syndrome (
https://tinyurl.com/LISYNDROME), a very rare condition. Basically, Mr. Cornille as you know him and love him is all there. Nothing has happened to the part of the brain that is responsible for personality, intelligence, or sense of humor, but something severe has happened to the part of his brain responsible for all the other things that happen in his body. Breathing, waking and sleeping cycles, voluntary muscle movement, heart rhythm, etc. is all affected by this type of stroke.
The prognosis from the outset was grim, to put it kindly. The doctors told his family he would require a ventilator for the rest of his life and would never move on his own again. The trademark symptom of Locked-In Syndrome is that you can only move your eyes. That’s it. You can’t move or breathe on your own. You can’t speak or swallow. All you do is blink and move your eyes up and down. Obviously, this news was and is devastating to his family, friends, and all the people who have known and loved Mr. Cornille over the years, but the story isn’t over yet! In fact, it’s just beginning.
Given this medical outlook, Mr. Cornille began what can only be referred to as a miraculous recovery. Those of you who know him well probably saw this coming from the beginning. He already beat the odds when he made it to the hospital and through surgery, but two weeks later he began to breathe on his own without a ventilator! Mr. Cornille is good at most things, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he is good at rehab too! He is making tremendous strides and is doing so with his trademark wry humor… He continues to gain mobility (more and more each day) in his arms and legs. He is learning to swallow and he is practicing speaking. The other day he sat, assisted, on the side of the bed and put his feet on the floor for the first time in SIX WEEKS. The doctors are astounded and news of his recovery has spread all over the hospital. Most medical professionals have never seen a locked-in patient before and even fewer have seen one that is recovering!
Mr. Cornille’s recovery process will be a long one and he is not out of the woods yet. He will need intense rehabilitation and therapy to overcome some of the deficits caused by the stroke. He needs all of the good energy, positive vibes, and earnest prayers you can send his way during this time as he is working very hard every day. If you would like to send him a video, audio, or written message, you can do so at the following email address: mrkylecornille@gmail.com (mailto:mrkylecornille@gmail.com). He especially loves and appreciates funny stories and memories that you may have of your time with him, but he would love to hear from you in any way, as would his family!
At this time, please make sure you are reaching out through the above email. Many of you know Michelle and will be happy to know that she and Mr. Cornille got married before he had his stroke! While his wife and family welcome messages of support and love, it quickly becomes very emotionally overwhelming when they are receiving text messages and email alerts throughout the day. The easiest way to make sure Mr. Cornille, Michelle, and his family receive your messages of support is to send them through the email listed above and not any other private email or phone numbers you may have.
Updates about his progress will be posted here periodically.
Thanks so much for your love, kindness, and support!
