Longtime readers will recall that Mandy Nagy (aka Liberty Chick) was a writer for Legal Insurrection, after a prominent stint as Andrew Breitbart’s researcher and a writer for Breitbart News.
[Occupy Unmasked Premiere – RIghtOnline ’12: L. to R.– Stephen K. Bannon, Lee Stranahan, Mandy Nagy, Brandon Darby and Anita Moncrief. (image via Becca Lower via Duane Marcus)]
But it was not to be. On Sunday, September 7, 2014, I received an email from Mandy’s mother asking me to call her and letting me know that on Saturday, September 6, Mandy had suffered a massive stroke and had undergone surgery.
With Mandy’s mother’s permission, I posted about the situation, Pray for Mandy Nagy. At that post you can track the outpouring of affection for Mandy as well as a chronicle of her condition and frequent updates from her mother.
We promised to keep Mandy’s seat warm for her to return whenever she could and in whatever capacity she could:
We’re praying for Mandy, and keeping her seat at Legal Insurrection warm awaiting her return, however long it takes.
But one year after her stroke, it was obvious that was never going to happen.
My post, Mandy Nagy – One year later, conveyed a final update from Mandy’s mother at the now-defunct GoFundMe page, which read in part:
In the first few months she went from being unconscious to opening her eyes every now and then. She was missing the left side of her skull for four months, was deaf and blind on her right side and had a feeding tube for several months. She was bedridden for two months.After about six months of rehab she has recovered enough to walk small distances by herself with a cane but no other assistance. She is still paralyzed partially on her right side. She has no use of her right arm, but her right leg is functioning enough to walk a little. She spends much of the day in a wheelchair. She seems to be able to hear and see again on her right side. Her speech has improved slightly. She can say a few words and I am teaching her to speak in sentences.I have tried to get her interested in using the internet and email again, but have been unsuccessful.She is very slowly learning to do simple everyday tasks on her own. Over the year she has had to learn how to do things we learn as children such as using utensils to eat or brush teeth.I have to read print to her since she says she only recognizes and knows the meaning of some words. However, she understands most of what I am saying to her. She has started to do things without my telling her to do them such as letting the dogs out the door. Months ago she wouldn’t have thought about taking the initiative to do that.Her recovery continues to be a long, slow difficult process. Her life has changed and she seems to have accepted that. I believe it would be safe enough and she is now ready to live more independently in her own home. I am working on finding her a place to live and making arrangements for someone to take over my duties. I knew when she came here to live with me that it was going to be life changing for her, my husband and me.Mandy, Victor and I are very grateful to all of the people who have donated and sent good wishes over the past year. It’s incredible to me that she knows so many people that care.I will be taking this site down in a few months but I wanted to give you this last update before I do.Thank you all very much,
Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of Mandy.
I reached out recently to Mandy’s mother for another update. The going continues to be difficult:
Mandy still needs help with everything: bathing, dressing, walking, cooking, etc. She can only speak and read a few words. She mainly identifies things by pictures. She wears a brace on her right leg and needs spotting while walking short distances. Her right arm is paralyzed and her right leg is partially paralyzed. She is very disabled. I do my best to take care of her needs. She seems content and not depressed.
If you read no other post of Mandy’s, please read Mandy’s 2013 post, Remembering September 11th and the importance of loved ones and endurance:
September 11th taught me the importance of family and loved ones in our lives, as well as the compassion of those we may not know, and that we can never, ever take life for granted.
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