Sports stats



PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

RedHawks Stephen Melsh Celebrates Home Run for Life

April 26, 2013 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma City RedHawks and INTEGRIS Health are proud to continue the "Home Run for Life" series on Saturday, April 27. The RedHawks and INTEGRIS will honor Stephen Melsh, an Oklahoma City resident who survived an ischemic stroke this past January and has made a full recovery thanks to the hard-working team from the INTEGRIS James R. Daniel Cerebrovascular and Stroke Center at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center.

"Home Run for Life" recognizes people in the Oklahoma City community who, with the help of their families, physicians and health care professionals, have overcome a significant medical event in their life. Honorees are recognized during the game and get to take a home run "lap" around the bases, symbolizing the end of a battle against adversity.

"We are very proud to partner with INTEGRIS Health and continue the 'Home Run for Life' series," RedHawks President/General Manager Michael Byrnes said. "It gives us a chance to highlight some special people who have summoned a lot of courage and strength to get where they are today."

On a cold Friday in January, the 69-year-old Melsh was alone at home when he suffered a stroke. He noticed his arm was going limp, and he was losing his ability to think, act and move. With his motor skills diminishing, Melsh tried to dial 911, but ended up pounding random numbers instead. He reached local real estate agent, Trent Rhodes, who thought the call was a prank at first due to Melsh's slurred speech.

Rhodes quickly realized the person on the other end of the phone was in serious trouble, so he called 911 and provided the emergency dispatcher with the phone number Melsh was calling from in order to trace Melsh's address.

The ambulance took Melsh to INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center, where he was met by the Code Stroke team. Melsh was given a clot busting medication, which helped restore blood flow to his brain. A day later, Melsh's cognitive abilities had significantly improved, and he was no longer experiencing any lasting consequences from the stroke. Medical experts believe it's because he was able to get the help he needed quickly.

"I'm just thankful Trent was on the other end [of the phone]," Melsh said. "I'm thankful to be alive."

Melsh has made a full recovery and is living a normal, healthy life. Just 12 days after his stroke, Melsh went back to teaching psychology and sociology at Rose State College.

Strokes occur when an artery or blood vessel in the brain is blocked by a blood clot and over 795,000 strokes occur in the United States annually. They are the fourth-leading cause of death and first-leading cause of disability in the country. While most strokes occur in people aged 65 or older, they can occur at any age. May is Stroke Awareness Month and strokes can be prevented by maintaining a healthy blood pressure and living a healthy and active lifestyle.

Come see Stephen Melsh, Trent Rhodes, and those who have been instrumental in his recovery at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center during "Home Run for Life" following the third inning of the RedHawks game Saturday night against the New Orleans Zephyrs. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Interview requests for Melsh or RedHawks personnel can be made through the RedHawks' media department. Tickets for Saturday's game are available through the RedHawks ticket office at (405) 218-1000 or by visiting okcredhawks.com.

Check out the Oklahoma City Comets Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Pacific Coast League message board...

Pacific Coast League Stories from April 26, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Oklahoma City Comets Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central