At the end of July, Wade's father, Henry Wade, a healthy 50-year-old, suffered two strokes within three days. Doctors discovered with an MRI that Henry Wade had previously suffered several small, symptomless strokes, causing blood in his brain to build up until his first large stroke. "After his first stroke, he had some memory loss and difficulty with his right side," Wade recalled. His second episode proved much more severe. "After his second stroke, he was completely paralyzed on his right side, and he lost his ability to speak," said Wade.
According to Wade, the event was a traumatic one. Her younger brother Nathan and mother Sharalyn both had to cope without Wade once the end of August came around. The decision to attend Amherst was a difficult one, especially because Wade's father was forced to remain at Helen Hayes Hospital in Haverstraw, N.Y. longer than expected, and thus did not come home until two days before her departure. "I'd hoped he'd recover faster, so that I could see him before I left [for college]," said Wade.
"The first semester was really difficult," Wade admits, as she had to return home to visit her family on many weekends. Seeing her brother forced to grow up rapidly, and watching her mother struggle to help Henry recover while simultaneously working as a nurse, drove Wade into action.
Wade soon discovered "Train To End Stroke," the premier fund-raising campaign for the American Stroke Association. Wade stumbled upon the program while surfing the web and was captivated. Participants receive personal physical training and fundraising tips from coaches to compete in either a half (13.1 miles) or full (26.2 miles) marathon. In return, runners pledge to raise a certain amount of money, 30 percent of which goes towards the event, and 70 percent of which goes to stroke research. Since 2001, "Train To End Stroke" has raised over $36 million for stroke research, registered over 30,000 participants and inspired over 200 stroke survivors to complete a half or full marathon.
Although Wade played lacrosse in high school and always maintained a high level of fitness, only after several long phone conversations explaining her motivation did her parents finally give their support.
Wade chose as her target event the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington, Vt. on May 28th. "It's daunting, but exciting," she said. Wade is now three weeks into training with Team Springfield, a local group of fellow runners. A young woman named Melissa helps Wade travel to the bimonthly team runs, but the training is otherwise largely self-motivated. Wade sticks to her workout schedule, watches her diet and does push-ups and crunches to strengthen her upper body and core.
In order to participate, Wade pledged to raise $2,900. She hopes to have $2,000 raised by the end of March. At that time, she will be forced to commit to her pledge, and will be found liable if she doesn't reach her goal. If anyone is at all interested in supporting her cause, they can visit www.ttes2006vermont.kintera.org/springfield, or they can feel free to e-mail her at wwade09@amherst.edu.
While visiting her father in the stroke ward, Whitney saw several teenagers who had suffered strokes, and met the parents of an afflicted three-year-old child who were participating in "Train to End Stroke." "People think that strokes only happen to older people," said Wade, "but they can happen to anybody." Twenty-nine percent of stroke victims are under age 65. Several of Wade's friends' relatives have also suffered strokes. By stressing the importance of a healthy lifestyle, Wade hopes to make students realize the dangers of a possible stroke and to encourage them to take care of themselves.
"I am really proud of what she is doing," said Maggie Mattaini '09, a close friend. "Time is an incredibly precious resource in college, especially at Amherst, and this program requires a lot of time both in training for the marathon and in raising a significant amount of money ... Whitney took on the challenge willingly and enthusiastically."
Wade's father can walk again, but although he understands when people talk to him, he has difficulty responding. His faculties for reading and writing are also slow in recovering, and doctors have been unable to set a timetable. "We're in it for the long haul, Wade said. "There's no light [guaranteed] at the end of the tunnel ... [It's] like a marathon, but with a marathon, you can prepare, and there is an end."