Life can change in a moment.
Gregory Stoker, 31, known as Ory to his friends and coworkers, was playing with some kids by a pool at a family reunion in Thomasville on June 25. The kids were chasing him with water balloons and Stoker dove into the water and did not immediately resurface.
“He was blue, he wasn’t breathing and my sister did CPR while we called 9-1-1,” said Stoker’s mother, Kathryn. “He told me he remembers hitting the bottom and realizing he couldn’t move before everything went white.”
Stoker is currently at Archbold Medical Center in Thomasville awaiting a transfer to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. He has been told he will be a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. He can lift his arms but has no use of his hands. His outlook remains positive though and part of the reason has to be the support from his family and friends.
Soon after hearing about the accident, friends of his, including Douglas Boswell, began thinking of ways to help raise money for Stoker, a bartender at Ted’s Montana Grill in Peachtree City with no health insurance.
In addition to a poker run that will take place later this summer, there will be a benefit concert on Saturday, Aug. 6 that will feature several local acts including Neil Cribbs. The concert will tentatively take place at the Tavern on 74 from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. but with the number of people RSVP’ing to the event on Facebook by the day, a larger venue may have to be secured.
“Every time I would travel with Gregory, he would run into somebody he knows,” his mother said. “I have never met anybody so inspirational, uplifting and outgoing. He’d help anybody with anything. He just has a wonderful personality.”
Boswell agrees. “He’s just the most caring, polite person I’ve ever met.”
Boswell stated that he called Stoker the butterfly because he would always talk to every single person in the room. “When Shia Labeouf was in town filming “The Wettest County in the World,” Stoker sat right down next to him and started talking to him. He just has a laid back personality and is so easy-going.”
Originally from Schaumburg, Ill., Stoker moved to Georgia over 15 years ago and lived and worked in Alpharetta before moving back to Fayette County close to six years ago. Although he is obviously dealing with major physical trauma, he is still charming people.
“The nurses are all googling over him,” his mother stated, adding that he has an amazing attitude about the situation.
By the end of the week, Stoker will be admitted to the Shepherd Center where he will begin a process to get himself as independent as possible.
In the 1990s, his stay at Shepherd would have lasted around six months but thanks to new technologies and procedures may only last six weeks now. In addition to the fund-raising events being organized by his friends, there is also a website, www.team-ory.org, where people can make donations and find out about upcoming events. Those interested in helping Stoker can also go to any Wells Fargo or Wachovia branch and make a donation to the Ory Stoker donation fund.
There is a lot of outpouring of love, prayer and support for Stoker right now and that is a testament to the love, prayer and support that he has shown others. He is undoubtedly facing a lot of challenges, but his attitude proves to those that know and love him that he’ll make it through.
