Stuart Morris Suffers a Stroke; Go Fund Me Set Up

Consignor Stuart Morris suffered a stroke Dec. 23 and is hospitalized at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital. He has limited function in his left leg—he is able to move it and walk with assistance. However, he has no mobility in his left arm and hand. Morris' girlfriend Patty Mitchell said that he does have sensation in the arm and a minor facial droop of his lip on the left side that affects his speech slightly. Mitchell said that doctors believe Morris' leg will recover but that he has a window of three to six months for progress and another span of one year for full progress. "The beauty of him is he's the same Stuart," she said "He cares about everybody else, still is concerned with what everybody else is going through in their lives. To him, it is all just a bump in the road. He has an incredible, strong outlook. "He has 100% of what it takes to fight the fight and get it done." Morris was to be moved to Cardinal Hill rehabilitation hospital Dec. 26, but Mitchell said there is not an available room for him yet at the facility. Morris' doctors also would like his blood pressure stabilized without the aid of medications. Morris is still taking work calls from his hospital bed, even though his doctors have advised against it. Sometimes he is reminded to put his phone down and take a break. "He can't slow that side of him down. That's his heart and soul," Mitchell said. Mitchell said that the support from the Thoroughbred industry can only be summed up as "indescribable." "It's really hard to put to words what we've seen and what we've heard. People are showing up and calling and sending messages and flooding him with emails and bringing clothes. The open-heart giving of this industry, which oftentimes astounded me when I've seen things like this happen; it's incredibly generous," she said. "It's this mix and match of feelings. It's like a Catch-22. The industry that takes him away from family and takes him on the road a lot, and you want to be frustrated with it, is the biggest, most loving, and supportive community of people that I have ever met. We've been truly overwhelmed by it. " Machamer Hall Sales' Carrie Brogden and Eaton Sales account manager Jay Goodwin have set up a Go Fund Me page to help mitigate the expenses associated with Morris' recovery process. The goal is to raise $50,000. As of Sunday night, they have raised more than $15,000. Brogden on the Go Fund Me Page wrote that an updated CT scan "showed no new changes to the stroke or his body so we feel like the stroke has finished the (damage) it's going to do at this point." "His attitude is incredible," Mitchell said. "He really fights it every day. He's got that same magical, magnetic energy that he always has. He just powers up, hopes for the best; he has a pretty incredible attitude. He's doing pretty well despite what he's facing."