Jim Pas Stroke Recovery Support
If you are reading this, you likely already know some of this story and have asked how you can help Jim Pas. You probably sent him a text by now. I saw 145 last time I was at the hospital. He can feel the love and support, he’s just not up to responding to every text right now.
It’s all a bit shocking when something like this happens and you go from a normal routine to being a stroke survivor at 53. He wants to reverse time and have life exist the same as it did before the car ride on Mother’s Day 2025, when he was driving with his wife to join her parents for brunch. “Blessed” is one of the first words he uses when reflecting on the chain of events that day. Blessed that he managed to pull the car over while losing all feeling in his left side; blessed that his wife – through sheer will – was able to drag him around to the passenger side; and blessed that the hospital was only a few miles away (she decided she could drive there faster than the ambulance could arrive).
The weeks since that day have been spent giving his brain time to absorb the blood from the hemorrhagic stroke, and waiting to see what feeling would return (spoiler alert: not much to report yet).
May 27 marked a new chapter in Jim’s recovery story when he was admitted to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago and that brings new hope that he will get back to 100% with the intensive physical and occupational therapy synonymous with that facility. His speech was only impacted slightly — another blessing.
Jim will not be thrilled at this fundraiser. He will be reminded that it is a blessing that people continue to reach out and ask how they can help: everyone who know him continues to ask, continues to pray, continues to hope, and continues to care — and have asked how to give financially to support him and his family. All of those are things Jim has always done as routine (including donating to other people’s fundraiser accounts).
Here’s the ask now: To raise $20,000 to help the family with the following:
• Medical costs (so far the tally is 4 days in the ICU, 12 days in the stroke care unit at the hospital, and an estimated 20-30 day stay at the rehabilitation center)
• Lost income from both Jim and Michelle (she is figuring out how to balance unpaid leave through the FMLA with her college counselor job 2 hours from the rehab center)
• Expenses related to at-home care that are not being assessed for this marathon back to 100%. He is expected home by the end of June. The family needs to modify the front entryway so there are not stairs/add a ramp, make the first-floor living area ADA-compliant, and determine where he will sleep since there is not a bedroom on the first floor and a lot of stair to get to the second floor. They will likely adding a medical bed and figure out options to modify the bathroom.
Jim lives by the time, talent, finances mantra. He lives that daily, giving his own talents and time to Libertyville Covenant Church as well as serving as a chaplain for Little Cloak. He has served in a multitude of roles, both paid and unpaid, as a youth leader, music leader (what a celebration it will be when he is back at the piano!) and an overall faith leader in the church community and beyond. Never has there been a role Jim has taken on where he did not give more of himself than was asked.
Time spent in stroke recovery will forever change his vision and approach to how he supports others down the road (he has served in this mission as a hospital chaplain and at senior living facilities). He will use this journey to help others in every capacity he can. We just need to help him get to the other side to start that part!
Faith will forever serve as the guide for Jim and Michelle and their two girls, Olivia and Sophia. For updates on Jim’s journey, go to CaringBridge.org.
