A Komoka woman has undergone the most stressful year of her and her family’s life, and that’s before you even throw the COVID-19 pandemic into the mix. In January, Beth Miller began losing feeling in her foot which caused limping, and over the course of one week it made it to her right hand. It wasn’t until she went to the ER when a CAT scan revealed the otherwise healthy and active mother of three had a hemorrhagic stroke, or a brain bleed. She spent a month recovering in hospital before being discharged a few weeks before the pandemic hit. The 39-year-old was then tasked with having therapy sessions virtually, which Miller said brought its challenges but also its benefits, saving trips into the city, parking fees, and wait times. But she says one question still hovers over her .
Miller says they’ve shielded the boys aged 8, 6, and 4 from most of her personal health concerns and the pandemic, but adds they do miss their friends and school. With no pre-existing medical conditions prior to the stroke, Miller lives with the fear that this could happen again but she’s trying to manage those concerns through working with her social worker. Presently, she can walk and ride a bike, and is enjoying the time with her kids, which she says are a constant source of happiness, throughout the valley of lows this journey has brought.