A Sweet Home High School freshman who suffered a stroke last week is at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland as doctors seek to determine what caused it.
The boy’s extended family is seeking the community’s help while his parents attend to him at the hospital.
Brock Nichols, 15, suffered a stroke sometime Thursday night or Friday morning, his uncle Tristan Nichols said. Brock didn’t realize anything was wrong initially, not until Brock’s father, Tim Nichols, noticed right away Friday morning that something was wrong.
Tim Nichols took Brock to Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital, Tristan Nichols said, and then he went on to Doernbecher at Oregon Health Sciences University.
“It was a crippling stroke,” Tristan Nichols said. It affected his right side, giving him limited mobility in his right arm and leg. His smile and face are also affected.
The stroke affected the left side of the spinal cord, which controls the motor function for his right side, Nichols said. The doctors located a moderately sized hole in his heart that will require surgery to close.
The family doesn’t know how long Brock will have to remain at Doernbecher, Nichols said. “Right now, they are conducting tests to try to find out why he had the stroke and make sure that he is not at risk to have a stroke again before he can come home.”
Brock will require more doctor appointments and physical therapy, Nichols said. His parents, Tim and Crystal Nichols, will need to take time off from work to take him to appointments and assist with the ensuing medical bills.
Brock’s parents are both hard workers, Nichols said, but they’re in that gap where they can’t qualify their son for Oregon Health Plan but cannot afford health insurance. In addition to medical bills, they will need to pay for travel expenses and costs associated with spending time in Portland at Doernbecher.
“One of them is going to have to quit working at least for a while,” Nichols said, at least until Brock returns home.
“If you are able to donate anything to them, it will help out tremendously,” Nichols said. “And if you can’t donate, then please keep him in your prayers. A 15-year-old active boy should not have to go through this.”
Brock played football this year, and he enjoys sports, Nichols said. The family have been faithful members of the Harvest Christian Center for a decade, and the Nichols have lived in Sweet Home their whole lives.
To help with the Nichols’ medical expenses, a Go Fund Me account has been set up and, as of Monday evening, the public had donated $2,440.