CHATHAM CO., GA (WTOC) -
It's a miracle Matthew Bishop is standing today, and doing exercises with his wife, Barbara. Bishop had suffered a debilitating stroke on Valentine's Day, while he was sleeping.
"It was about 4:15 p.m. when I found him upstairs in bed," Barbara Bishop said. "He couldn't talk with me and didn't have much movement at all."
His wife immediately called 911. Doctors later determined that Bishop had a very large stroke on the left side of his brain.
"He was unable to move his right leg or right arm and at that point, he could not even swallow on his own," Barbara Bishop. "The left side of the brain affects all of your communication - speech, reading, writing and comprehension. He had a lot of swelling on the brain. Initially, they were not sure if Matthew was going to make it through because his brain kept swelling."
But Bishop did pull through, eventually gaining back most of his movement. But he still faces a long road to recovery. Barbara Bishop takes him to therapy three times a week to relearn occupational and speech skills.
"I've been saying a lot of prayers, which have helped because I do not think Matthew should be here right now and he is. It is amazing," his wife said.
But the recovery process is long and costly. Barbara Bishop is a stay-at-home mom and teaches Zumba part time. Bishop worked as a crane operator at the Georgia Ports. The couple has a 3-year-old daughter, Isabella, a baby boy on the way, and the medical bills are piling up. But Barbara said she's not worried. She's drawing support from her family, friends and faith.
"I think as long as you have God and faith on your side, you can get through anything," she said.
She hopes her husband will soon be able to go back to the Georgia Ports Authority.
There will be a fund-raiser for the family Friday night. It's a Zumbathon, which will be held at the West Chatham YMCA off of Pooler Parkway, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
There is also a fund set up for the family at http://getwellmatthew.chipin.com/the-bishop-family.
For more information on strokes, visit http://www.medicinenet.com/stroke/article.htm and
http://www.stroke.org/site/PageNavigator/HOME.
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