Teen Stroke Survivor Rebounds for Graduation
Josh Gray was determined not only to survive, but to graduate with his 2010 class
Moreno Valley boy's love of the Lakers and passion for basketball helped him overcome medical odds and make it to graduation."/>
A Moreno Valley boy's love of the Lakers and passion for basketball helped him overcome medical odds and make it to graduation.
On Wednesday, Josh Gray, a six-foot tall senior whose school days were spent on the basketball court, will walk his commencement and receive a diploma from Valley View High School.
And if you ask his family, this is nothing short of a miracle.
Last June, almost exactly one year ago, Josh suffered a massive stroke. A bruise from a basketball injury formed a blood clot that traveled to the teen's brain. Gray collapsed while getting ready for school.
"I could hear, but I couldn't talk," he said. "I wanted to say 'Dad, I'm having a stroke. Get me to the hospital.'"
Doctors discovered two holes in Josh's heart -- a cardiac defect that allowed the clot to travel to the brain. For weeks after that Gray lay motionless, until one day he muttered "Lakers," and opened his eyes.
Josh survived the stroke and heart surgery, then fought hard to recover. He spent several months at Casa Colina Rehab Center where his will and determination -- along with having youth on his side -- prompted a remarkable rebound. Josh returned to school in January.
On Wednesday night Gray will graduate with his class, a dream that just a few months ago didn't seem possible.
"To see him in a cap and gown ready to graduate -- ah, my God," said Gray's father Gary Gray.
"We did have tremendous hope," said Melody Gonzales, Gray's mother. "Josh gave us even more hope because of his determination. He never wanted to give up."
Josh's doctors acknowledge that he still has challenges to overcome on the road to full recovery, but that he's improving. One day Josh hopes to recover well enough to be a basketball coach and help other young people.
