14-05-2025
Husband and wife, both veterans, living life to fullest after husband's severe stroke
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A severe stroke never stopped a veteran and his wife from living life to the fullest. It's been two and a half years and now the couple travels across the country as he competes in different athletic competitions for wounded, sick or injured service members.
Swimming is Jeremy Ditlevson's favorite activity as he pushes through the water and defies the odds. He has videos from his Tik Tok 'Life After Stroke' that show his preparations for those adaptive athletic competitions. It's the latter end of a long journey with his wife, Jeralyn, also a veteran, that started in January 2023 when he suffered a severe stroke.
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'They didn't think that he was going to make it, so it was an emotional time,' Jeralyn said.
'Going to the hospital as soon as possible is the difference between life and death,' Dr. Jorge Ortiz-Garcia with OU Health said.
Garcia cared for Ditlevson and is also a neuroscience ICU doctor. He said it was caused by a blood clot. He also found a blood clotting disorder and heart deformity they didn't know about. He spent 17 days in the ICU, which his wife said were filled with stress, complications and the unknown.
'I felt like I was in a rowboat with 20 holes in it in the middle of the ocean during a cat five hurricane in the middle of the night with one rower,' Jeralyn said.
There was a light at the end of the tunnel, however. He spent over 3 months in San Antonio for rehab and learned to walk again. Today, he has body deficits and aphasia, which leaves him limited in communication.
'No matter the cards that we were dealt, we still have to keep pushing through,' Jeralyn said.
Now, both are part of a community with other veterans.
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'We're family,' Jeralyn said about the traveling for athletic events and being around other veterans.
With a warriors spirit, it's a second chance at life that neither of them take for granted.
'We can only push forward and continue to live our life the best that we can and have as much fun as we want,' she said.
Dr. Ortiz-Garcia said time is of the essence when a stroke occurs. He urges everyone to know the signs and act quickly because it can save their life. Last year, Jeremy competed for the Army in the DOD World Games. Next week he's in North Carolina for the Valor Games, then in July, he's heading to Colorado Springs for another competition as well.
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