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Wednesday July 25, 2001 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER B3 Life ofheadaches led to brain aneurysm for Walter Gretzky By Wilma Blokhuis BEAVER FOCUS EDITOR Don't let a bad headache par alyze you. That's the advice from `The Great One's father, Walter Gretzky. "As a young child I had headaches up the right side of my head," the 62-year-old Brantford resident told abut 200 people at Saturday's Big Bike for Stroke Gala at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. And, he admits to swallowing countless pills to control the pain. Gretzky was in town to accept a $100,000 cheque, funds raised at this year's Big Bike for Stroke event, on behalf of the foundation. ! j j leumnm j PAY TO THl OTGVMMo _ 1 ,L - / v ° r ; th eh ea r ta n d s TM ^ o U N D A T IO N 1bfousm> em O > < auL Photo by Wilma Blokhuis Shown with the $100,000 cheque, proceeds from the Big Bike for Stroke event and Gala on Saturday, are from left, Jenny Clarke, president, Oakville chapter, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Mayor Ann Mulvale, Walter Gretzky, national spokesman, Heart and Stroke Foundation, and Paul Sneddon, campaign chair, Oakville chapter. Big Bike has 15 teams for day-long ride Saturday's fifth annual Big Bike for Stroke raised an unprecedented $100,000. "This is a record," said Paul Sneddon, campaign chair for the Oakville chapter of the Heart and Stroke Foundation at Saturday's Big Bike for Stroke Gala at the Oakville Centre. "I'll go on record to say this is the largest single day fundraising event ever held in Ontario," he said, adding the Big Bike for Stroke visits about 80 com m unities across the province to raise funds for stroke research. The Big Bike for Stroke is a 30-seater bicycle that travels to large and small communities across the province to raise funds for research to fight the debilitating effects of stroke. Each 29-person team rode a three-kilometre route starting and finishing at the Queen's Head Pub. (The 30th seat was reserved for the person in charge of the bike.) Top fundraising team was Kopriva Taylor Community Funeral Home, $11,300, defeat ing for the first time traditional top fundraiser, the CIBC which Photo by Brent Foster A fan Fires a water pistol at the raised $10,809. The Gala raised $4,100, and "we had an anonymous dona tion of $4,000 to bring our total up to $100,000," said Sneddon. "We met our goal." The teams and the amounts raised is as follows: Kopriva Taylor, $11,300; CIBC, $10,800; Bronte Village Buccaneers, $9,150; Queen's Head Regulars, $8,000; The Oakville Golf Club team in Saturday's Big Bike for Stroke. Prizes were also awarded for Slice Girls, $7,250; Olde Oakvillians, $6,550; Nazar the fastest time to the Oakville Family Chiropractic, $5,585; Golf Club, 7 minutes 30 sec Oakville Golf Club, $5,550; onds; and the most fun award Lads Soccer, $5,130; Budd's went to the Bronte Village Imported Cars, $4,340; Alfield Buccaneers. Soccer, $4,000; The Oakville The annual Big Bike for Club, $4,000; American Stroke events raised $77,000 Women's Club, $3,800; Rotary last year, $70,000 in 1999; Club of Oakville West, $3,550; $54,000 in 1998; and $17,000 and The Rude Natives, $2,900. in 1997, the first year the ride was held in Oakville. The 15 teams raised $91,905. On Oct. 12, 1991, Gretzky suffered a brain aneurysm, and was rushed to hospital. A blood vessel in the right side of his brain had broken. The next day, he underwent a 6-1/2 hour operation to repair the broken blood vessel and insert a shunt from his head to his stomach to drain fluids. He spent 10 months in hospital. "When the doctors operated they discovered old scar tissue. Not only did I have headaches, I had mini-strokes. I would miss meals, and lose sleep because my head would just pound. "Ironically, I haven't had a single headache since the opera tion. I've had headaches all of my life, but none since the aneurysm. "So I advise you," he urged his audience, "see your doctor if you're suffering from headaches. You can become par alyzed from a stroke if you don't seek medical help. "Life-saving medical treat ments are available but you must get to the hospital immedi ately. Don't do what I did. "Don't continue taking pills and end up waking up partially paralyzed. Go to the hospital if you're suffering from severe, nauseating headaches. "Stroke is a very time sensi tive illness. Getting to the hospi tal in time can save your life and you won't be paralyzed." The day he suffered his aneurysm, Gretzky was suffer ing from a "violent headache and dizziness. I could barely walk. I could hardly see." He happened to be in a cellar of a friend's house, was assisted up the stairs, and taken to a doctor in Paris, Ont. Gretzky was sent by ambulance to a hospital in Hamilton where Dr. Rocco DeVilliers performed the lifesaving surgery on a Saturday. As a result of the aneurysm, Gretzky's short-term memory is impaired, however his long term memory is fine. "I didn't know a person had two memo ries," he mused. "I can still remember my first day of school, but when I went to the mall shortly after I got my driver's licence back (some three to four years ago), I could n't find my car. I was standing outside the mall, just crying." His doctors told him that events most important to his life would always be clear in his memory. These include Wayne's marriage to actress Janet Jones, in Edmonton, on July 17, 1988; and the day the former NHL star broke Gordie Howe's 29-year record in December 1989. But his memories of many experiences over the 20 years leading up to his aneurysm are a blur. "It's as if those years, from the '70s to the '90s, didn't exist for me," said Gretzky. For about four to five years following his surgery, "I didn't know if I was alive. I was like a zombie. I didn't even know my family." He admits to speaking his native Ukrainian when he `came back to life.' He required thera py to once again learn to speak English. "I couldn't walk because my balance was gone. I was in a wheelchair." However, therapy brought him back to life, and today he's a national spokesman for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and travels across Canada to share his story. Before his surgery, he worked for Bell Canada for 34 years. Gretzky considers him self fortunate. "I 'm one of the lucky ones. I'm a survivor. "I live each day to the fullest, grateful for my second chance at life. Every second of every day is precious to me. Every second is important to me. We take so much for granted." A book about his life is to be released in November. The Gala also featured musi cal impressionist Chris Kennedy, magician Dick Joiner and comedian Glenn Ottoway, who appeared courtesy of Bulldog Productions. And, food at the reception was provided by The Rude Native. HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION OF ONTARIO OAKVILLE BIG BIKE 2001 FinflL RESULT CONGRATULATIONS on raising a $100,000 I am sure we will all remember Saturday July 21,2001 for a long time. It was a special day. Kopriva Taylor Funeral H om e - $ 1 1 ,3 0 0 C IB C - $ 1 0 ,8 0 0 Bronte V illage Buccaneers - $ 9 ,1 5 0 Q ueen's Head Regulars - $ 6 , 9 0 0 Slice Girls - $ 7 ,2 5 0 O ld O akvillians - $ 6 ,5 5 0 N azar Family C hiropractic - $ 5 ,5 8 5 O akville G olf - $ 5 ,5 5 0 Lads Soccer - $ 5 ,1 3 0 B udd's Im ported Cars - $ 4 ,3 4 0 Alfield Soccer - $ 4 , 0 0 0 The O akville C lub - $ 4 , 0 0 0 Am erican W om ens C lub - $ 3 , 8 0 0 Rotary W est - $ 3 ,5 5 0 Rude Natives - $ 2 , 9 0 0 T E A M T O T A L - $ 9 1 ,9 0 5 N et Gala tickets ( 2 0 0 ) - $ 4 ,1 0 0 Anonym ous O akville donor - $ 4 , 0 0 0 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ft Special Thanh you To Our FTlain Sponsors In 200! VLoblaws DUPONT FABULOUS FINDS Just an F IT N E S S Old Fashion Butchery C A R V E Y 'C F I N E M E N S W E A R i f IM AG ES & M ORE /^OAKVILLE BEAVER Bulldog Productions THREE TROPHIES UUERE PRESEHTED T0 ; H a l Fundraiser -- Hopriva Taylor H a l Fast Bike -- Oakville Golf Club H a l Fun Bike -- Bronte Village Buccaneers And a big thank you to our community support; Town Crier · Ian Burkholder, Halton Regional Police, Neil Leavitt. From the Oakville Chapter 2001 Big Bike Committee - Thank You and see you in 2002! To be a part of the 2 0 0 2 event, please call Paul Sneddon 338-2798.