Josh Gray

HE DID IT!!! Josh graduated High School with amazing written all over him. It was a glorious evening, June 9, 2010. It’s been mentioned here how Josh, his family, and friends have looked forward to this day with great anticipation. Hundreds were in the stands to see Valley View High School’s Class of 2010.  Several of Josh’s closest people: parents, siblings, cousins, grandfather, and friends from distant cities were in the stands cheering. The program was set in a very traditional format, from the graduates entering the stadium, to seating, and the top students honored. Fireworks lit the sky at the beginning of the student roll call and at the end of the names list. As a beautiful addition, doves were released in the air during the final song to represent the students future. It was truly a night to remember for all the student graduates and their guests. After the ceremony, Josh and his group of supporters gathered at a local restaurant to share a meal and a time of laughs. Gifts given and pictures taken as, we celebrated this special moment with the young graduate.

This couldn’t have been a more poignant graduation for a teenager like Josh. He celebrates his high school graduation one day, and celebrates the one-year anniversary of his stroke the next. It’s hard to imagine, one year ago, June 9, 2009, Josh and his Dad were sitting at the kitchen table discussing his plans for the 2009 summer. The next day June 10, he had a stroke that changed his direction in life. The reason this high school graduation is so special is the fact that not even a stroke could stop this kid from reaching his goal, to walk with his class of 2010. Congratulations Josh, Well Done!

Let the celebration begin! It’s time to celebrate the hard work and fortitude Josh has shown to reach one of  life’s foremost milestones, high school graduation. For anyone, high school graduation is a huge milestone and recognized as a major achievement in our society. However, there is so much more to this graduation, the fact that Josh had overcome a catastrophic injury to position himself for this moment, without missing a beat. The celebration began Thursday June 3 with Grad Night at Disneyland. The senior class of Valley View High School joined many other schools in southern California at the annual Grad Night; a casual, all-night event at Mickey’s house. Under the advice of Dad, Josh had about a 3-hour nap prior to going, knowing how difficult a long night a Disneyland would be. The anticipation of an all night party made it difficult to relax, but he did. Josh and his fellow students arrived at school to load the chartered buses for the trip at 7 pm. The atmosphere was electric as parents and students were flashing pictures capturing the moment. The eager students boarded the buses and away they went. Now, this is the part of the story, which gets a little fuzzy, as details were not exactly forthcoming. “I had a blast! There were tons of people at Disneyland and the club scene was awesome,” Josh did reveal. “I danced more here than I did at Prom last year,” he said.  The once paralyzed stroke victim had danced his way through the night. The students returned to school around 7 am Friday morning and it was easy to see the depletion of the weary teenagers. Most of us would look forward to a long sleep after a night of fun, but Josh had other responsibilities to attend. “Dad, I’ve got to get back to school and finish a final in one of my classes,” he said. After a quick two-hour nap, the kid was up and returned to school to complete his last academic task of high school. However, the day wasn’t over yet; we had senior awards later that evening. For a stroke victim, sleep and complete rest is essential. To say Josh was tired at this point is an understatement, yet he continued with the days plan. Josh was on the list to receive an award, although prior to arriving, we had no idea what the honor would be. That evening, Josh received The Most Improved Senior Award for his dedication in returning to school after a debilitating injury. Walking to the podium and receiving his certificate, they announced to the crowd a brief glimpse of Josh’s triumph and his determination to return to school and walk with his class. Teachers, students, and parents all stood in a moving ovation for the comeback kid. Mom, Dad, Grandma, sister, along with others were showing tears of emotion for a young man who had obviously touched and inspired many with his story. After the ceremony, several people in the crowd came to congratulate and expressed their admiration for Josh, encouraging him to continue. It was truly a night to remember. Josh would like to thank the teachers, staff, and students of Valley View High School for their support over the past two years, and making his senior year a gem in his new life.

Today was Media Day for Josh to tell his story. It started as a regular day for Josh,an early rise for a day at school except he had an appointment with the media. From 7:30 am until 10:30, Josh attended class as usual, sharing with his friends a TV reporter would be coming to school for an interview. Dad, Mom, brother Nathan, and sister Taylor were all on hand for the big day. The first of three interviews started with a videographer from the Press-Enterprise newspaper. The reporter asked Josh a number of questions on camera regarding his story and he described his personal experience of the past year. To say the least, Josh said he was a bundle of nerves on camera, though you could not tell from an outside view. He seemed relaxed and cool under fire as the journalist ran through a list of questions. Josh answered each one clearly and as always gave a bit of humor along the way. Soon after the interview, Reporter Mary Parks of NBC news arrived at the school with a camera crew in the NBC 4 news van, which brought a lot of attention to the surrounding students. The buzz began to pick up among the other students asking, “why are they here and who are they here for?” As Mary Parks and the camera operator began to set up their equipment, Mom and Dad assisted Josh with his cap and gown for graduation. Each interviewer wanted pictures with Josh in his traditional graduation wear. The family then situated themselves on a wall in front of the school as onlookers began to gather around. Among the crowd were Valley View High School Principal Kristen Hunter and Dean of Students Robert Brough. School was still in session as the interview began, so we had to work around the  hustle and bustle of the other students. During the interview, school buses would pull up and create unanticipated noise and distractions all of which became very humorous. The reporter attached a lapel microphone to each of us one at a time. First, it was Mom with a few questions on camera, then Dad’s turn. Josh was mic’d next and told his story. It was amazing to see the reporter with tears in her eyes as Josh spoke. Mary Parks mentioned, “we’re not supposed to make the reporter cry.” It was truly a special moment for us. Next, it was back home to meet with Laurie Lucus from the Press-Enterprise newspaper for a follow-up to the story printed in February 2010. She brought along with her a camera man for another photo opportunity of Josh and the family. It was great to hear Laurie comment on how much Josh had improved since she last met with us four months ago. The interview lasted about an hour and covered the happenings of the past few months.

The NBC news story aired Monday June 7, as a portion of the 6 pm newscast on channel 4. The Press-Enterprise story is online already along with additional pictures and the videography. Here is the LINK to the Press-Enterprise news story. We are very grateful to have the opportunity to share Josh’s story in the media. A special Thank you goes out to everyone at Casa Colina Rehabilitation Hospital. Dr. Patterson and several of Joshua’s therapists were on hand to give a testimony of his rehabilitation efforts, and how much of an inspiration he has been.

May is National Stroke Awareness Month – are you ready to start planning how to spread awareness? National Stroke Association is your number one resource for tools and inspiration about how to raise awareness about stroke in whatever way you can. Visit www.stroke.org/SAM for more info.

It doesn’t matter if you are an individual or a large corporation, because the more people we reach, the better.

We urge you to tell others about how to:

• STOP stroke through risk factor management.
• Act F.A.S.T. to increase recognition of and response to stroke symptoms.
• Spread HOPE about recovery from stroke.

Get all the free downloadable tools you need to make your May awareness activity the best it can be. Visit www.stroke.org/SAM for more information.

Forward this to friends: The more people we reach, the better for reducing the impact and incidence of stroke.

Josh and Joey have something very unique in common and can relate to each other in ways not many people can at their age. Both boys suffered a massive stroke at the age of 16 and saw their lives changed instantly. We met Joey Vitulli and his family Michelle, David, Nick, and Alexis at their home in Corona after his mother, Michelle, read Josh’s story in the Press-Enterprise newspaper. Michelle reached out to us with compassion and a true understanding of our new found life. Our entire visit was filled with related stories and experiences in doctors, hospitals, rehabilitation, and our own reaction and feelings.

Joey recently celebrated his 19 birthday this month and nearing his third year recovering from a massive stroke that affected 1/3 of this brain. With consistent hard work and the same determination he carried playing high school sports, Joey has made a remarkable comeback in all areas. Josh and I couldn’t complement Joey enough on how well he looked and seemed to us. You would never know this young man’s injury by his appearance or his personality. Seeing Joey and hearing his testimony is what ministered to Josh and me the most. We got a glimpse into Josh’s future and what we might expect as we move forward in his life. Throughout the evening Joey would encourage Josh to not give up, keep working hard, and never lose sight of God. The family shared with us the first two years after the injury would be the toughest and most crucial in Josh’s recovery. After that, things would get a little easier from day to day. Joey has since graduated high school and is now enrolled in college. One of the biggest questions Josh had for Joey was, “do you have your driver’s license?” Joey proudly admitted he does, and drives all around town. Hearing this news lit Josh like a party favor and made his day even brighter. Josh realized the possibility of driving someday could be soon. Like most teenagers who want their driver’s license, Josh is no different. Eagerly awaiting the opportunity and freedom driving has to offer. After a short time with our new friends, it seemed apparent some frustration was lifted from Josh, in meeting someone who survived and made it through an incident like his. On occasion during the last 9 months the question had been asked, “why me” and “am I the only one?” Thanks to Joey and his family we can answer some of those difficult questions and look forward to a successful and bright future. It was an amazing night of ministry for both families, a Divine appointment for sure. What a blessing for Josh to have new friends who traveled the same road before him and have a desire to share their experience and encourage his journey.

I've been working on my smile. Can you tell?

Tuesday March 2 was a big night for Josh. This was his first live Lakers game at Staples Center. If you’ve followed his story, you may recall his first word after having a stroke was “Lakers” which describe how important this team is to him. The night before the game he could hardly sleep. He said he tossed and turned thinking about the game and what he could expect. At school he was dressed in his official Lakers jersey and spread the news to all who would hear that he was going to watch the Lakers that evening. The ride to Staples Center was quiet but you could see how fidgety he was with anticipation. Tapping his foot on the floorboard and rocking back and forth in the seat with a constant smile on his face. He said more than once “I can’t wait. Are we almost there?” As we arrived, his eyes got bigger and bigger at the sight of the arena. We got there early with time to roam around Nokia plaza and experience the lights and glitter of the quad. It was like a child’s first visit to Disneyland. I stood back and watch Josh take in the experience. Josh’s level of recovery was evident in his ability to process all the activity that surrounded the busy entertainment environment. He took it all in without missing a beat. We took pictures and yelped and howled as we waited to enter the building. At six o’clock they opened the doors and began letting the crowd inside. “This is it!” he said. It was time. We gave our tickets at the door and Josh asked if we’re officially in. The ticket taker responded with “yes you are” and Josh let out a loud YES just within the doors. He had arrived at the famed arena where his beloved team plays the game he’s so passionate about. He said “I can hardly breathe I’m so excited.” I could see him panting as we passed through the curtain and got a view of the court for the first time. He just stood and starred. This alone was a big moment for him.

We enjoyed the game as we always do, loud and proud to be Lakers fans. Josh had no problem getting in and out of his seat to yell for his team throughout the entire game. I can say that I’ve never seen him so thrilled and wide-eyed since his injury last June. During the game, we had the pleasure of meeting and enjoying the event with our new friends from Verizon, who were responsible for giving Josh the opportunity to be there. Shyra Arrington and her daughters Shanera and Soriah offered Josh the tickets after reading his story in the newspaper a week ago. Shanera and Soriah are schoolmates with Josh and were so inspired by his story they wanted to give Josh this gift. While at the game, our friends from Verizon gave Josh a Lakers hat and shirt and lots of love for the inspiration he gave them.

Josh and his family would like to thank Shyra, Shanera, and Soriah and our fan mates from Verizon for an amazing evening with the Lakers. Also, we would like to thank the Los Angeles Lakers for a resounding 122-99 win over the Indiana Pacers during Josh’s first of many pro basketball games.

As the story broke in the newspaper Tuesday, Josh awoke that morning hearing his story was out in print. We stopped at the store on the way to school, picked up several copies and began reading the headline article. I asked Josh what he thought of the story. He returned a big smile on his face and said “YES, very cool”.

At the end of the day I asked the big question: How was your day at school? “It was awesome!” Josh described his first period as being pretty exciting. As Josh walked into class, his teacher announced him as Superstar. The other students were busy reading the article about their classmate. Many of them didn’t know the severity of his injury until reading the paper. Some didn’t realize he had a stroke at all.

As the day went on and the news spread on campus, more and more students asked if he was the one in the paper. He said “I met some new friends, many I’ve never seen before”. Admin staff, students, cafe crew, and security guards all expressed their sorrow for his situation but praised his comeback and current state. Some even suggested a movie should be made about his story. One teacher cut the article out and placed it on the classroom wall.

“It’s been fun. Everyone treated me really well, especially this week. I even got a free bag of chips and a drink”.