Once An Athlete …

… always an athlete!

In 2022, right after Christmas, we drove up to Wichita Falls to visit Mike. Amy had given the family a set of four pickleball paddles and balls so we threw them in the car.

Upon arrival, we mentioned the pickleball present. Mike lit up - “There’s a pickleball court right near here.” We headed over and the family began to play, with Mike and Debbie watching.

Then Amy uttered the fateful words - “Dad, do you want to try it?” Our son John Patrick (a nurse) later said he knew it was a bad idea instantly - since Mike’s Parkinsons’ disease threw off his balance and gave him severe tremors. But that didn’t stop him. “Yes!” he enthusiastically said, and bounded (well, staggered) onto the court.

Soon he was hitting balls, with two of his grandkids hovering around him nervously. Then he began coaching them - “Hit it to the corner, where they can’t get to it!” Amazingly, his Parkinsons’ symptoms visibly diminished. His hands stopped shaking. He moved more fluidly. He was having so much fun!

We told him to not try to reach a ball that wasn’t easily in his range. But … he couldn’t resist. A ball was close enough to try for, and he lunged - and fell. “I’m OK, I’m OK,” he said, and we helped him to his feet. He played for about 20 more minutes, then we packed it up and headed back to his house. He was chattering excitedly, his athlete brain lit up with the challenge of pickleball. It was so special to see!

Until the next morning. When he couldn’t move. Debbie took him to the ER, and he had broken his hip in the fall. Oh no! He had surgery, and went through PT. Everyone there called him “Mr. Pickleball” which of course he loved. And he recovered. I think he considered the expense and pain of hip surgery well worth it, to be back on the field of competition one last time.