SJ user SteveU had a stroke

Yikes. I crack my neck all the time.

 

So we can get back on topic (and yes I’ve cracked my neck too but now no longer), just got done visiting with Steve. He was sleeping so I didn’t want to bother with my loud ass mouth. But he looks great. Resting comfortably. Has a breathing tube in. They’ve been feeding him and he tries to chew it looks like according to the nurses board in his room but it’s like a couple second delay. Mostly a liquid diet though. He knows a lot of us here in town have been visiting and knows that there are others who have reached out though just by the looks of his room. Just keep the prayers coming because this is a marathon and not a sprint. And thanks to all of you who have reached out so far.

 

Any further updates on Steve? I post infrequently but enjoyed following Steve in his journey to land a better gig and was happy to hear he landed in Toledo last year. Best wishes for a full recovery.

 

I remember this guy and wish the best for him and his family.
I once had a girlfriend whose father had a stroke and it was a long, long return to normalcy.
Never mind the powers of speech but the most basic things - brushing one's teeth, combing one's hair, lifting a fork - became herculean tasks.
Hang in there Steve, from Fart and his family.

 

I had a good friend whose older brother had a stroke when he was a senior in high school. He was in the shower and his father had to bust in and get him out. He was a smart guy - his sisters are a judge and a marine biologist - but was never the same after that, which I guess was to be expected. He has a good life, was married for a bit, but it’s like somebody turned him down to about 75 percent.

Best of luck and future health to Steve.

 

A devastating update from our union rep:

Hey everyone:
Some of you in the newsroom may have overheard* me discussing Steve Ungrey's current situation. I've refrained from making any sort of announcement in hopes the situation could be resolved with the company, but recent events make that appear to be unlikely.
The company has formally notified Steve's appointed guardian that if Steve does not return to work on Sept. 5, his sick time and vacation time will have expired and he will be considered a no-call, no-show, and his employment will be terminated.
Initially, the company had no plans to continue health insurance coverage for Steve. After the Guild raised a contractual requirement to continue to pay his insurance for 26 weeks, the company has agreed that it will pay his full health care premium for those six months.
However, we've so far haven't been able to find an avenue to compel the company to keep Steve employed**.
Obviously, this is deeply concerning. While Steve's condition has improved from when he was first hospitalized, he is in absolutely no condition to work. Without a strong support network, he's been essentially kicked to the curb by the company as quickly as they can. He's about two weeks from being eligible for FMLA, and the company is refusing to extend his employment for those two weeks to allow him the 12 weeks of FMLA coverage to give him some more time.
I'm glad we were able to get his health care extended, but what has been happening is really upsetting. I'll keep everyone up to date on any potential changes in Steve's employment situation, and if anyone can think of suggestions for ways to help, please let me or a Guild representative know.
I often try to avoid going into detail about a member's personal situation, but I feel like this is one case where everyone should know what is happening.

*I want to apologize to newsroom staff for losing my cool with BCI vice president Steve Spolar on the phone yesterday. I had been trying to get him to call me with the company's formal position for a few days, and to do that phone call outside the office because I knew it would not be a pleasant one. I was ready to be upset about the company's position, but was not ready for Steve to attempt to frame the company's following their contractual requirement as some sort of a favor to a guy who is in long-term rehab.

**Complicating this matter is that we don't want to somehow "win a victory" and force the company to keep him as an employee and somehow make Steve ineligible for unemployment or some other benefit he may be eligible for. I spoke with Steve's court appointed guardian today and I'm confident he has an advocate that not only knows what to do, but CARES. His guardian is working on a Medicaid application, investigating SSDI eligibility, and we are committed to working in tandem to try to get Steve as much assistance as possible.

 

Shit.

Keep up the good fight, Waldo. Hate seeing things like this, only good to a company as long as you’re healthy. It dehumanizes the whole workforce and hurts morale, if it’s even possible to get any lower.

Please send best wishes to Steve as we continue to think about all of you (caregiving is important too - great job!). We hope for a speedy and full recovery.

Hang in there, and thanks for the update.
Regards,
VB

 

That's awful, but not unexpected from the company.

Sending best wishes to Steve.

 

Corporations suck when they do things like this. Just keep fighting, and ask his guardian if there is anything you and his friends can do to assist him. Like I'm telling you anything you aren't already doing.

Take care of yourself. As you said earlier, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Caregivers have to remember that. Please keep us posted. I don't know if Steve was even on the board when I joined - I really don't remember him - but I've done a lot of time with family in the ICU, and in particular the Neuro ICU. Just having someone there for him means a lot, whether he is able to say so or not. Bless you all for caring and doing what you can.

 

Thank you. We’re trying but we’re all just fuming right now about what has happened. I had an incident last year where I ended up in the hospital for a couple of days and was down for two weeks. I was deathly afraid for my job, especially in this environment.

What they’re doing is wrong, but our union is trying to come up with creative ways to right it as much as we can.

 

Um... is there another paper in your market?

 

If there is a GoFundMe for Steve please advise.