At 9:42 a.m. on Sunday, September 7, 2014, I received an email at our “contact” email address from an email account I did not recognize with the subject line “Mandy Nagy”:
Prof. Jacobson,I hope this email is directed to you and not Mandy. I am Mandy’s mother. Mandy is in the hospital. She had a stroke early Saturday morning. She is unable to speak and cannot move the right side of her body. If you would like to contact me, I can be reached at: xxx-xxx-xxxxI am also going to go to her home and look on her computer to see if I can find your contact information.Ginny Nagy Ashrafi
In that moment it made sense. The day before I had emailed Mandy to walk through her start the following Monday, September 8, as Legal Insurrection’s first full time employee and Editor, but she didn’t respond. That was very unlike her.
Since she joined us as a regular author in June 2013, Mandy had taken on an increasingly important role running the website such that it was reasonable for Mandy’s mother to assume our “contact” email address might have gone to Mandy, not to me.
I spoke immediately to Mandy’s mom, and found out just how bad the situation was, particularly devastating since Mandy was just 45 years old.
Later that day, I alerted the readership, Pray for Mandy Nagy:
Our beloved Mandy Nagy, also known as Liberty Chick, had a stroke yesterday and brain surgery to relieve the pressure today.I am in touch with Mandy’s mom, who approved me letting people know via Legal Insurrection. Before surgery, Mandy also was able to nod approval with a small smile, her mom tells me….We’re praying for Mandy, and keeping her seat at Legal Insurrection warm awaiting her return, however long it takes.
It was not to be. Mandy never returned to Legal Insurrection, and never will though her seat is still being kept warm.
Each year we have updated Mandy’s condition as reported to us by her mom.
It’s been just over one year (9/6/14) since Mandy had her stroke.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….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….
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.
It’s been three years and a very challenging time for Mandy, Victor and me. Her situation, for now, is stable.Her condition has stayed the same for the past year. She can walk very slowly for short distances with a cane. She has no use of her right arm and very little of her right leg. She needs assistance everyday with bathing, dressing, cleaning and meal preparation.She cannot form words except for no, hi, okay and a few other words. She can’t read and doesn’t understand things she should.People she should know, she doesn’t unless I show her a picture of them. She doesn’t understand instructions. I gave her a brush to use in the shower and she didn’t know what it was or what to do with it. Even after I showed her how to use it, she just stared at it confused.So, this is where we are. It is a sad situation but she is comfortable and hopefully content. It’s not a very good life, but it is life.
I hope you and your family are well. Thank you again for thinking of Mandy.Not much has changed. She was hospitalized once a few months ago. We thought she had another stroke but it was a seizure. She still has an aide assisting her each day and I fill in on Sundays, holidays and days when the aide is not available.Her only improvement occurred about six months ago when she became interested in the music playing on my IPhone. It always puzzled her family that she lost interest in music after the stroke, since music was such an important part of her life. Anyway, I downloaded music she likes on her IPad. She can’t read who the artist is, but she can identify the photo of the artist. So, now she listens to music often. Her doctors had said that music is good for recovery. It took four years, but better late than never.I’ll let Mandy know you asked about her.
Hi Bill,Thank you for thinking of Mandy each year. Mandy’s condition remains pretty much the same except that her ability to walk is decreasing.Since her right side is paralyzed, with some feeling in that leg, she needs more support than previously to walk. Despite our efforts to get her up and exercising, she now depends on her wheelchair more often than before. I used to be able to transport her from her place to mine using a cane. But now she needs to use her chair and I need another person to help with getting her up a few steps whereas before I could get her up the steps by myself.However, she seems to be a bit sharper in her thinking. Although she still cannot talk, except for a few words, she is now remembering some small things that she hadn’t before. For instance, she remembered it is her brother’s birthday. Normally that’s not something she thinks about or would remember. I was surprised. She seems content and not depressed. It’s hard for us to see how that can be, but it is. She listens to music on her IPad and watches HGTV much of the day. A home health aide comes every day to take care of her and I fill in on Sundays and holidays.Again, it is kind of you to remember her. I hope you and your family are well.Regards,GinnyP.S. I saw your interview on FOX a while ago. I think it was with Tucker Carlson.
A few days ago I received this update from Mandy’s mom:
Bill,Once again, thank you for thinking of Mandy each year at this time.Her condition has changed in a few different ways. Physically, she has more trouble walking. Her right side is paralyzed except for enough feeling in her right leg to make it possible to walk. In the past year, that feeling has diminished making walking more unstable. Cognitively, she seems better. She has learned to understand and write a few words on paper. She also has become more interested in the internet. And, when I bring up politics and the sad state the county is in, she seems to understand. She’s aware of how President Trump supporters are attacked while the Democrat media and politicians get away with most anything. I called her one night when you were a guest on Tucker Carlson and told her to watch. She and I also have seen you on other shows, I think Fox and Friends. She remembers you!… Mandy’s sister and I now realize how Mandy knew about the groups financed by people like George Soros. We didn’t understand back then, but we are amazed how much she knew before the rest of us. I am sorry you have to go through what you are experiencing. It shouldn’t be this way. I hope this country sees what many of us see and stop the madness. Anyway, I am encouraging her to get involved again and look at the news on the internet and TV because for years she had no interest.She still needs someone to care for her every day. Her spirits are up and she seems content.I see her on Sundays and this past Sunday, when I walked in, she was watching the video below on her IPAD. I was surprised because she doesn’t know how to spell but apparently she is slowly learning. I asked her if her roommate pulled that up for her and she said no, she did. I suppose she knows how to spell her name and that’s how she was able to find this. It is also an indication that she is interested once again in politics and wants to learn what was, and presently happening.Regards,Ginny
Mandy’s mom included this video of Mandy at BlogCon 2013, which she recently found Mandy watching, a cherished memory for and of Mandy.
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