Hamden

Retired Hamden Firefighter Hopes to Inspire Others as He Recovers From Stroke

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A retired Hamden firefighter is on the mend after suffering a stroke and now he hopes to use his story to inspire anyone else who is going through a challenging time.

A retired Hamden firefighter is on the mend after suffering a stroke and now he hopes to use his story to inspire anyone else who is going through a challenging time.

NBC Connecticut first met Paul Turner in January when the House of Heroes organization and Hamden Fire Department came together to build a ramp outside of his home after he suffered a terrible medical scare.

Months later, we met back up with the 21-year veteran to discuss his road to rehabilitation and his message for anyone facing dark days.

"I'm getting a little stronger every single day," Paul Turner said.

That's the goal for Paul after his life took a turn for the worst.

"It happened right in front of my wife. She thought I was being a little smart," he said.

"I think my reaction was 'Paul, Paul, what the heck are you doing"' initially, and then, you know, I saw the movement, or lack of movement on his left side and him using his right hand to manipulate his left hand and knew immediately," said Paul's wife Mary.

On a rainy Labor Day, the 61-year-old was rushed to the ICU and learned he had suffered a stroke.

"I had no idea. I could feel my left side but everything else felt dead," he said.

"You don't think it's going to be you -- know, nobody thinks, 'Oh, it can happen to me.' But, you know, when it happened, I really didn't look to the future. And, you know, we literally took it 24 hours at a time when he was in neuro ICU, it was very critical. And, and that's just kind of how I've kind of gone through the last, you know, six months, you know, one day at a time," Mary added.

Paul was bound to a wheelchair and stayed at Gaylord Hospital for three months. He also did a 10-week stint in the hospital's Specialty Healthcare's Traurig House where he had to relearn how to walk, talk and even hold a cup of coffee.

I've gotten through life, through other difficult circumstances with the vision that if you're not dead, there's a way you can overcome it.

Paul Turner

An employee at the Traurig House describes Turner as a fighter.

"You know, he had to have food brought to him and you know, dressing, he still needed an assist. Just a simple thing of making a cup of coffee. He was making a cup of coffee before he left. When he came to us that wasn't even thought that he could do that. And it's a simple task. He was able to dress himself by the time he left, which was also a big relief for the family or the caregiver at home," said Amy Benoit, a house manager at Traurig Transitional Living.

"He just made gains every single day he was there and we just couldn't let him go until we absolutely had to because he just kept going. Paul's a fighter. Each and every day he made leaps and bounds," Benoit added.

It takes a village and the support of the community has really helped Paul during his recovery.

"The Hamden Fire Department. I can't say enough about those brothers, you know, they redefined family. I heard all throughout Paul’s career, oh, the brothers, my brothers and we lived it and they are amazing," Mary said.

And with love from his wife, Paul is determined to make everyone proud.

"She is my rock -- rock star," Paul said about his wife.

Paul is remaining positive about his recovery because he knows he has overcome other challenging circumstances.

"It could always be worse. I am an eternal optimist. I've gotten through life, through other difficult circumstances with the vision that if you're not dead, there's a way you can overcome it," Paul said.

He added he is overcoming the challenges one day at a time.

Paul was recently discharged from the 10-week program and is now doing outpatient physical and speech therapy. This past weekend, he was honored with a very special award from House of Heroes.

According to Paul, his story is bigger than a stroke, but it really is a message for anyone dealing with a life-altering situation or simply a difficult time: Double down, bet on yourself, your strength, and try to get back up again.

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