My Grandpa at Lake Shasta. (Family Photo)

Well, my hero is my Grandpa.

About two years ago, my grandpa suffered from a stroke that paralyzed his left side. It happened during the night and scared my grandma pretty bad. She had told him she was getting ready for the day, and he didn't answer, so she asked again, still no answer. My grandpa tried to get up but fell over forwards, hitting his head on the nightstand. So my grandma ran to call 911. They got there shortly after. The people working in the ambulance got him set up with an IV and strapped him in the gurney. A short distance later they arrived at the hospital and got him checked in.

My family in California got called a while later, telling us he was okay, but had to stay in the hospital for a while, during recovery. We all sighed in relief. We were also told he would spend quite a while in muscle therapy. Muscle therapy is when you have to relearn how to use the muscles, in his case, use his whole left side again. He had a lot of determination to learn how to walk again. It was a big gap in his life because he used to walk everyday, and quite a distance too. We called frequently to check up on them. My parents even drove an entire night's drive to visit him in therapy.

It's been about 2 years since the stroke, and he has recovered so much, and we are very proud and happy. His speech used to slur, and make it difficult to understand what he was saying; we can make out a lot more than we did then. He also couldn't walk on his own; he still can't completely by himself, but has gotten a lot stronger, physically and mentally. His determination has really paid off.

So, he is doing very well, and has improved a lot. He is my hero for making it through this, and doing it with a good mind, heart, and smile. I love you grandpa!