Skip's Stroke Story

April was an exciting month for Skip Lieder – he was looking forward to his daughter’s wedding on the 20th. However, on the morning of the 16th, his plans suddenly changed.

Skip was rushed to Shelby Baptist Medical Center by ambulance to later learn he had suffered a stroke. Over the next several days, Michele Bargman, Skip’s daughter describes the intensive care he received as “simply wonderful.”

She describes the beginning of the ordeal in the Emergency Department as horrible and wonderful at the same time. “We were scared to death and in the middle of a horrible situation, but the staff there was so attentive to dad- they kept him informed of everything they were doing, and one nurse was able to keep him calm with her gentle touch and reassuring words,” Michele said.

As the days passed, Skip rapidly improved. His daughter attributes his recovery to his strong will left over from his days as a Commander in the Coast Guard and was driven by getting back to his wife Ann at the lake, their happy place.

As the date of the wedding approached, Michele started to make alternate plans for the wedding but when the nursing staff heard about it, they came up with a better idea. With the help of Shelby’s Pastoral Care team, a wedding was planned to take place at the hospital so Skip could see his daughter get married. However, due to Skip’s amazing progress, he was being discharged to rehab before the wedding could take place. Never to be discouraged, the nursing staff simply changed the location and brought the wedding party to the rehab facility and the ceremony was performed on location by Dr. Gary Yarbrough, Shelby’s director of Pastoral Care.

Skip, we are so happy to hear how well you are recovering so far and that you are back home, taking care of your beloved Ann.