Atlanta man's stroke sparks moving response from neighbors
ATLANTA - A southeast Atlanta man and his wife never expected such kindness from strangers.
Steve Smith lived an active and healthy lifestyle before he experienced a sudden spinal cord stroke, a medical condition he said he'd never heard of. It caused paralysis in his arms and legs.
"My legs were paralyzed, my arms were paralyzed from the elbow down and my stomach and lower back were paralyzed," Steve Smith said.
Steve's wife, Meg, said the family never saw it coming.
Once her husband was out of the hospital, she started shuttling Steve back and forth to outpatient appointments at Piedmont Hospital and Shepherd Spine Center. She said she felt overwhelmed managing everything, along with handling her own job as a mother and sales associate.
Neighbors pitched in to help with a meal train. Then, they lifted the Smith's spirits with, well, a lift. Neighbors signed up to help transport Steve Smith to outpatient treatments.
"We were so glad she let us help and told us that was what she needed so we wouldn't keep throw chicken soup and brisket their way, if that's not what they needed the most," neighbor Susan Gordon said.
Gordon set up "Steve's Speedy Fleet" online, other neighbors paused to donate their time and vehicles. Dozens of people signed up.
The Smith moved to Atlanta from Connecticutt in 2020 and never imagined this kind of support from their neighbors.
"Neighbors I barely got to know that Steven hadn't met — he's now loving this time to know them one-on-one," Meg Smith said.
Steve is trying to get back to the active life he lived with his wife and daughters before the stroke.
"It's a great sense of humanity and giving, which is so appreciated," Steve Smith said.
Steve Smith was recently discharged from Shepherd Center, but neighbors promise to keep helping as long as the family needs it.
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