ANGORA—Strokes happen every 40 seconds and every year nearly 800,000 people in the United States have a stroke. And every 3 minutes someone in the United States dies of a stroke.
Carl Antus of Angora near Cook is a stroke survivor, and his daughter Carly Antus Wilk is his advocate and both work tirelessly, Antus on his therapy and Wilk on encouraging and educating her father. Their latest venture is the annual Strides for Stroke event at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 18, in Duluth.
“We learned about it through a stroke support group at Polinsky Medical Rehabilitation Center in Duluth,” Wilk said in an email interview. “We walked with the Polinsky Stroke Support Group who named their team ‘The Stroke Heroes’ in 2017. After that year, we created our own teams.
Carl Antus’ teams were ‘The B.F.D.s’ 2018, ‘Carl’s Comrades’ 2019, ‘The Masked Marvels’ 2020, ‘The Resilient Iron Rangers’ 2021, ‘Carl’s Cruisers’ 2022, ‘Carl’s Cowboys’ 2023 and this year ‘Carl’s Walking Warriors.’
Wilk said, “Carl’s teams have always raised between $1,000-$2,000 for the Minnesota Stroke Association, always ahead of his goals.”
Wilk talked about being a caregiver for her father. “Becoming a caregiver for a stroke survivor—for my father—and the journey that followed is something I cannot adequately put into words. June 2024 will mark 12 years.
“It has been a marathon. I am grateful that this platform is one way that we can take our lived experiences and help other people who are at the beginning of this journey as well as bring stroke education and awareness to our community.”
Wilk said her father “looks forward to seeing who shows up at the stroke walk, reconnecting with old friends and meeting new people.
“In 2018, ‘The B.F.D.s’ walked in memory of our dear friends Jim Brink, David Ford, and Jon Donahue. All three men possessed great courage, determination, resilience, and humor in their lives after debilitating strokes. Each of them also had equally heroic caregivers and wives walking by their sides every step of the way. Bonnie Brink, Terry Jean Beans-Ford, and Lisa Porter Donahue. We felt immense gratitude for having shared the beginning of our post-stroke journey with each of them.”
And Antus said, “I truly miss them to this day.”
Wilk said, “Since then, we have met other close friends in the stroke community who have since passed from complications of strokes. Strides for Stroke Walk allows us the opportunity to remember, to honor, and to celebrate these friends.”
Antus would like to see a stroke support group on the Iron Range in action again. He currently participates online with a stroke support group that meets through Essentia Health Polinsky Rehabilitation in Duluth the last Wednesday of every month from 1-2:30 p.m. It is facilitated by Sandi Erickson, medical social worker at Essentia Health.
Wilk said, “After the Strides for Stroke walk last year, our team enjoyed lunch together afterwards and then went to the zoo. We were thinking that might be fun to do this year as well (weather permitting).”
Wilk added, “Carl said he is walking to educate, to raise awareness, and to remember those who have passed on due to complications of strokes. I am walking in honor of my Dad, recognizing the epic journey of life after stroke.”
Andi Billig of Minnesota Stroke Association and Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance said, “Strides for Stroke is about raising awareness and support for stroke survivors. See: https://strokemn.org/stridesforstroke/campaign/carls-walking-warriors/. We encourage you to share your Team and Donation Pages widely; your community of friends, family, coworkers and followers help to extend our reach and deepen our impact. Together, we can continue to make strides in stroke awareness and contribute to enhancing the quality of life for those navigating its long-term challenges.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0