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URGENT- Don Souden Has Had A Stroke

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  • URGENT- Don Souden Has Had A Stroke

    I'm sorry to be the bearer of sad news.

    My friend Don Souden suffered a stroke on August 8th. The stroke caused paralysis of his left side.

    He then had further complications - an infection, coughing up blood, and a fall.

    - sorry, everyone, i cant type with 2 hands anymore, i just had surgery on tuesday and it hurts -

    don and i have emailed regularly for years, but dropped out of touch august 8th. i kept sending emails asking if he was ok, but got no response.

    most of you don't know this, but don had been in a rehabilitation facility since last winter following a severe diabetic crisis. by this summer he was doing great, his insulin was under control and he was walking miles every day. his last email to me was very cheerful. i knew he was looking forward to moving into a new apt, and i hoped that maybe he had moved but not gotten internet yet. but i got more and more worried as time went on and i heard nothing from him.

    i checked with jane coram and cris malone, and they hadn't heard from don since aug 7-8 either. i spent all day saturday on the internet and phone trying to track him down and find out if he was alright. we live 3,000 miles apart and american privacy laws made it difficult, but i was determined to find him. long story short, i finally made contact with his brother, who told me that don had a stroke aug 8 and had been rushed to the hospital in another city.

    i asked if i could please speak with him but was told don had too much difficulty speaking on a phone, slurred speech from the stroke, probably wouldn't be able to recognize me, etc. i asked if i could please speak to him anyway; even if someone just held the phone up for a few seconds so i could tell him that all his friends miss him and send their love.

    on sunday his sister called me. she told me he might not be able to recognize or talk to me, and that his longest phone call with family thus far was just a few seconds. i said i understood and wanted to try.

    then she put don on. i told him that all his friends miss him and love him, and send their prayers for his full recovery. his voice was low, weak, and slightly slurred, but as i talked he began to respond.

    don definitely recognized me and suddenly said "how you, bunny?'' he remembered minutiae that still has me amazed. he actually asked me, how's pokey?, referring to my horse!

    don told me what had happened to him in a series of short statements-
    i had a stroke... i'm paralyzed... left side... i can't walk... i had an infection... i coughed up blood... i fell.

    he didn't grasp how much time had gone by since any of us had heard from him, but began to understand when i explained how worried jane and i were that we'd gotten no response from him. don said "i can't..." i knew he meant "i cant write or call or email", but i told him its ok, his friends will understand.

    i asked if there was anyone i should contact for him, and he gave me a few names. i wrote to those people privately on monday.

    then i asked if i had his permission to let his other friends know what had happened so they could pray for him, and he said yes.
    i asked if i could post the news on casebook and he said yes again. i had hoped to do this for you yesterday, but had a rough day after my surgery and wasnt up to it. sorry.

    i'm asking all of you to please say a prayer for don's recovery, and especially that he will be able to return to what he loves- writing, books, history and ripperology.

    don is a wonderful person who has contributed so much to the study of history, and to ripperology in particular. we all need him.

    thank you,
    archaic

  • #2
    Sad news indeed, sorry to hear this.
    Please pass on my best wishes to Don.
    Regards, Jon S.

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    • #3
      I'd like to add mine as well. I'm very sorry to hear that Don's not well. I've always found him to be a kind person, just a good guy, and I wish him all the best.

      And I wish you a quick recovery from your own surgery, Archaic.

      Best,
      Dave

      Comment


      • #4
        Very sorry to read your news, I'm sure we all wish Don the very best.
        dustymiller
        aka drstrange

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        • #5
          You've done stellar work here Bunny...a true friend to Don and myself.

          Get well Don and come on back. Your friends need you.
          Best Wishes,
          Hunter
          ____________________________________________

          When evidence is not to be had, theories abound. Even the most plausible of them do not carry conviction- London Times Nov. 10.1888

          Comment


          • #6
            My prayers are with you Don. You are a great man.

            Mike
            The Ripper's Haunts/JtR Suspect Dr. Francis Tumblety (Sunbury Press)
            http://www.michaelLhawley.com

            Comment


            • #7
              Address To Send Cards To Don

              medical update- don is having a medical procedure tomorrow, 9/14.
              he has a blood clot in his leg near his knee and they are going to try to remove it.

              please say a prayer/send positive healing energy on don's behalf, that the surgeons will be able to safely remove the entire clot.

              i'll post an update as soon as i hear. don's sister who has been visiting him and helped me speak him has to return home today, but she said she will try to keep me updated on his condition.

              if you would like to send Don a card, please use the address below. please note, it will be much easier for don, his family, and the medical staff assisting him with his mail if you use large clear block printing, not cursive, keep your message fairly brief, and use a legible signature.

              his sister said his room number has changed a few times and is likely to change again, so instead of a room number please remember to put
              ATTN: Donald Souden either in middle of the address or a little below it.

              address-

              Fairview of Fairfield
              930 Mill Hill Terrace
              ATTN: Donald Souden
              Southport, CT
              O6890



              PLEASE NOTE- the family asks that you please not attempt to call his room. don took a bad fall because he tried to reach for a phone and fell.

              you are welcome to email me your message for don and i will deliver it verbally when i am able to speak with him again. but i honestly don't know when that will be. hopefully soon.

              thanks everyone,
              archaic

              ps- thanks for good wishes for me. i'm ok. just tired and have kind of overdone it. had wrist surgery tues and was supposed to rest my wrist and hand for a while before and after operation, but that's when all this happened so i didnt. was on the computer like crazy.
              and i didnt take post-op pain meds for past 3 days because i wanted to be ready to speak to don if his family thought it was a good time to try to call me. its catching up to me now but no big deal. just glad i found don.
              Last edited by Admin; 05-19-2014, 02:01 PM.

              Comment


              • #8
                Correction- Don's Medical Procedure Is 9/13/13

                don's medical procedure to remove the blood clot is on 9/13, not 9/14.

                sorry. i wanted to use the date rather than just say 'tomorrow' for the sake of clarity, but i'm so tired i'm mixing up dates.

                thanks,
                archaic

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                • #9
                  My hopes and prayers for his recovery.

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                  • #10
                    Hi,
                    Dons a real nice guy, and I will be praying all goes well
                    Richard.

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                    • #11
                      All the very best Don
                      You are in our thoughts and we are hoping for a great outcome

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                      • #12
                        My thoughts and prayers are with you Don.

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                        • #13
                          Very sorry to hear this, I'll put a card in the mail today.

                          Let all Oz be agreed;
                          I need a better class of flying monkeys.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Get well again, Don. We're all rooting for you.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I'm very sorry to hear about Don's illness. Thank you for all your hard work in finding out what had happened to him, Bunny.

                              My prayers and thoughts are with Don, and I, too, will be sending a card to him soon.

                              Carol

                              Comment

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