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Wife suffers aneurysm; husband, 2 heart attacks
By Jewell Cardwell
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Monday, Sep 22, 2008
The toll of the sudden death of their son has extracted some of the life from John and Kristen ''Kris'' Farley.
But their pain and suffering haven't gone unnoticed by the residents of Green — neighbors and strangers alike — who are coming together to host a charity benefit golf outing Saturday with an 8 a.m. tee time at Mayfair Country Club. Proceeds will go to the Farleys.
Now for the back story.
Jarrett Farley, 19, was killed July 23, 2007, when he lost control of the pickup truck he was driving at 2:55 a.m. on Greensburg Road and hit a utility pole after skidding more than 100 yards.
A 17-year-old passenger in Jarrett's vehicle barely survived, losing a leg and suffering other traumatic injuries.
Both allegedly attended a graduation party where adults
made alcohol available to minors. The incident is the subject of a lawsuit brought by the passenger's parents.
The double tragedy weighed heavily on the Farleys' hearts, resulting in major health problems for both.
Two months to the day after his son's death — Aug. 23, 2007 — John Farley suffered a heart attack at work.
''I continued to work until I couldn't take the pain anymore,'' Farley, a self-employed contractor who doesn't have health insurance, said during a recent interview.
Surgeons discovered 100 percent blockage in one artery and put in three stents. Farley returned to work in June in an effort to start paying his medical costs.
Still grieving and ever mindful of her husband's big hospital bill and their lack of health insurance, Kris Farley ignored the pain in her head as long as she could.
''She had 11 days of severe headaches, blurred vision and loss of hearing,'' John Farley said. ''She tried to self-medicate.''
Finally, Kris sought help at an urgent care center, where the doctor urged her to get a CAT scan. Wary about adding to their medical bills, she didn't.
That night, her husband said he was awakened by her ''real loud snoring.''
''Then she started screaming through her teeth,'' he said. ''It was like she had lockjaw. . . . Her eyes began rolling. She went limp and her breathing became very shallow.''
Paramedics took her to Akron City Hospital, where doctors determined she had suffered a brain aneurysm and prepared John Farley for the worst.
Beth Boyle, Kris' sister, divides her time between her family in Arizona and keeping vigil at her sister's bedside.
Boyle spoke of the emotional roller coaster after her sister had surgery and finally was weaned from the respirator. ''She's had a stroke; fevers; staph, yeast and bladder infections; pneumonia; you name it,'' said Boyle, rattling off the list of roadblocks.
Until recently, Kris, who is in a facility for long-term care, was unresponsive.
''She has a trach but is now able to talk in a whisper,'' Boyle said.
John Farley — also a constant presence at his wife's side — busies himself running the mounting numbers on his calculator for her care and the bill he owes for himself.
Farley has spent what savings the couple had to pay for his wife to be transported to a nursing home better able to deal with her fragile state. He also had to pay upfront for several weeks of care.
A couple of weeks ago, Farley was hospitalized after suffering a second heart attack. He has since been released.
Boyle — who is trying to keep her sister and brother-in-law propped up emotionally — was buoyed by news that her sister has finally been accepted as a Medicaid patient, which will lessen some of the Farleys' financial woes.
Kris Farley's recovery, all agree, will be a long one.
Back to the help for the family.
Cost of the that's-what-friends-are-for 18-hole benefit golf outing is $70 (including golf, beverages, breakfast, lunch and a steak dinner).
Golfers should sign up with Brian Mulkey at 330-329-1639 or Mike Brink at 330-609-3163. A 50/50 raffle also is planned. Cost is six tickets for $5.
Event planners are hoping to bring in enough money to help John Farley keep the family home so his wife has something to come back to when she's able.
Awards for heroes
Legacy III, which provides supportive housing services for homeless Summit County women recovering from chronic substance abuse, is hosting a Community Awards fundraiser dinner at 6 p.m. Friday at the University of Akron's Martin Center, 105 Fir Hill.
Local heroes poised to receive Making a Difference awards are:
• Friend of Legacy — Gerald Craig, Newton Johnson, Bette Borom, Barbara Mathews, Jennifer Kamm and St. Stephen's Lutheran Church.
• Faith-based — the Rev. William Roderfer, Larry Becker, and the Rev. Dennis and Chaplain Tamela Shawhan.
• Humanitarian — Carol Johnson, Crystal Hawkins-Harper and Annette Mitzell.
• Criminal justice — Lynda Harvey-Williams, attorney.
• Social work/community advocacy — Russ Pry, Leigh Belvedere and Robert Dowdell.
• Business — Octavious Thomason and Norma Rist.
For information, please call 330-375-0071.
PAWSibilities sale
Interested in finding a home for those unwanted household items?
The Humane Society of Greater Akron would like you to consider its Think of the PAWSibilities benefit rummage sale from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 26 and 27 at the Stow Falls Center Plaza, 845 Graham Road, Stow.
Your once-loved items can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.
For information, please call 330-688-9147
Cell phones for GASP
Grandparents Against Sex Predators (GASP) is collecting used cell phones. They will be cleared of all information, set to dial 911 only and distributed to a targeted audience, mostly the elderly and underprivileged who cannot afford a monthly charge.
Barbara Perkins, committee chairwoman, can be reached at 330-643-2164 or bperkins@sheriff.summitoh.net.
Drop-off places are: Radio Shack (inside Sam's Club on Howe Road at Buchholzer Boulevard and inside Summit Mall); and Lucky Shoes at Fairlawn Town Centre.
Jamaican mission
Major kudos to Larry Rybka, president and chief executive of ValMark Securities Inc. in Akron, for his company's charitable work in a Jamaican orphanage.
Rykba has organized yearly trips since 2004 for ValMark's registered reps and their families to provide labor and support at the orphanage.
ValMark also has given the following to the orphanage's 80-plus residents, most of them physically or emotionally disabled and abandoned by their families: a centralized kitchen and wash facility, a special education teacher, hospice care, financial support and a handicapped-accessible playground.
Rybka's team is one of 12 finalists in the national 2008 Community Leadership Awards.
Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.
The toll of the sudden death of their son has extracted some of the life from John and Kristen ''Kris'' Farley.
Get the full article here.
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