Claire McSorley, a longtime Milton resident who is 73 and now in a nursing home, called to tell me ''a funny story.''
It turned out to be much more than that.
McSorley had a major stroke four years ago and is working with therapists at the John Scott House in Braintree to regain her arm and leg strength. A retired teacher who was always on the go, she worked for Beantown Trolley Tours in Boston before her illness.
One summer afternoon, a couple from Ohio were riding on the bright red trolley near Boston Common when they saw their car go by with a stranger driving it.
''Someone stole our car!'' yelled the husband.
The trolley driver radioed McSorley to notify the police. When police said someone had to come to the station to report the theft in person, the trolley driver kept following the stolen white station wagon and, as traffic stopped, the wife hopped off to take a taxi to the station. Her husband also got off and flagged down a car to join the pursuit.
The car thief got away in traffic, but police caught up with him and the couple recovered their car.
''When the tour ended,'' McSorley said, ''people came back to the office and said, 'That was exciting! ... That was the best trolley ride ever!'''
Before the stroke, she wrote a children's story, ''The Day The Trolley Chased The Thief.'' She has enjoyed telling the story to her two grandsons, Joshua Kerry, 10, and his brother, Lucas, 7, of Milton, and now it's become a family project. They hope to publish a book, with illustrations by Joshua, using photos of Boston landmarks by Lucas.
''It's really fun,'' Lucas said. ''We talk about the book and it reminds me of what to do.''
People often think of nursing home residents as removed from society -- on the margins of everyday life. McSorley is inspiring because she remains creative and engaged in community life. She also interviews residents for the home's newsletter.
''It's all about quality of life,'' said Patti White, ombudsman at South Shore Elder Services.
McSorley taught reading and writing at several local schools and once was very active with the town arts council and other groups.
''She was always into something,'' daughter Deborah Kerry said.
That's still true. McSorley refuses to quit trying.
''After she had the stroke, she was in a coma for four months and we didn't think she would wake up,'' Kerry said. ''Then we didn't think she would make it through other operations and she did. She is strong to survive all that.''
Daily life can be frustrating, but McSorley finds strength in small, steady gains. ''My body is working much better now,'' she said. ''I would like to be on the go, but I am learning to be patient. You have to wait until the body is ready.
''People think you are not going to do something, but even doctors can be wrong.''
Loading...
7:18Stroke Survivor's Storiesby AmericanStrokeFnd8,076 views
Link to this comment:
All Comments (0)