“I’m alive and still kicking … although not so sure about the kicking because at 92, I can’t walk without a walker.”
Eight years ago, when Ruth Whitman was 84, she could walk without a walker. She was in a taxicab on her way to her job of 37 years – teaching kindergarten in the Boston Public Schools – when she had a stroke.
“Strokes strike like lightening, suddenly out of nowhere.”
It happened so suddenly that Ruth didn’t understand what had happened. The taxi driver did, however. As he watched her unsuccessfully try to get out of the vehicle, he politely told her to be patient and he signaled for help.
A stroke may hit as quickly as lightening, but the damage it causes can last a lifetime.
Ruth was taken to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston for an extended stay. When asked how she fared through this ordeal, her only response is abundant praise for the hospital.
Ruth was so impressed with the delivery of care that she created a video to urge donors to contribute to Spaulding. This was no small undertaking. Ruth placed an ad in a local paper, seeking volunteers with production skills. Two college students responded and the camera started to roll.
The film opens with Ruth reciting a rap she wrote for the occasion.
Here’s a preview:
For years
People hear
About the talk
And do the walk
For Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
But if you are like me
Who never knew
Never had a clue
Let me tell you
About a stroke…
A stroke is no joke.
To quote Donna Summer
Spaulding doctors
Work hard for money
It’s an absolute necessity
To solve the brain diseases’ mystery
(You can click here to hear the entire piece on Youtube!)
The stroke altered Ruth’s life in countless ways but it didn’t break her indomitable spirit. She has moved forward with dignity and purpose. As she recounts her story, the overarching sentiment is gratefulness.
Rather than bemoaning her post-stroke inability to fully care for herself, Ruth cites the attentive Ugandan caregivers whose exceptional care enables her to stay in her cherished house.
The paralysis on her left side is frustrating. Yet, right-handed Ruth focuses on her ability to hold a pen and continue to write.
Ruth’s mobility is compromised, which requires reliance on a walker to lessen the risk of falling. Rather than dwell on her limitations, she chooses to acknowledge the years of under-appreciated joy when she could move about freely.
“Needing a walker makes me vividly aware of all the walking I had once done.”
Perhaps most significantly, the stroke upended Ruth’s professional life. She didn’t have the luxury of determining when it was time to say goodbye to a career she had loved. What she did have, however, was the opportunity to call the shots on the next chapter. Despite being in her upper 80s and still recovering from a debilitating condition, Ruth immersed herself in activities that she had long placed on the back burner while raising four children and spending nearly four decades in the classroom.
Ruth has used the available time to learn to speak Spanish. Throughout her career, the majority of her students were from Puerto Rico. She compensated for her inability to speak their language by loading the classroom with bi-lingual books and music. Although she is no longer teaching these children, her interest in knowing the language has not diminished. She found what she was seeking at the Brookline Council on Aging. Since 2011, she has enrolled in their Spanish language immersion class taught be an Argentine professor.
Hands down, however, the absolute highlight of each week takes place on Friday evenings. Among Ruth’s most precious possessions is her large, lovely dining room table that becomes more beautiful when the seats are filled with those who matter most in her life. Her children, grandchildren, caregivers, and dear friends join her for Shabbat dinner.
“My greatest pleasure is sitting around this table with my nearby family and friends, just relaxing, chit-chatting, and having a lovely meal.”
The warmth generated at this gathering extends long after the Shabbat candles have dimmed. It’s easy to envision the sense of connection that envelops those who come together at her table. This timeless tradition refuels Ruth’s hopeful spirit as she stops to close one week and welcome the next.
Ruth is a super star — her “second career” as a rapper / fund raiser is outstanding —- going from educating kindergarten children to educating the public on strokes is quite an accomplishment — keep on rolling Ruth, you are an inspiration to all !!!