COURTESY OF JIMMY COBLE
Jimmy Coble with Martin Carney, one of his favorite professors at Fordham Prep, on graduation day last week.
When he was just 8 years old, Jimmy Coble suffered a stroke after a medical procedure went awry. He was taken to Blythedale Children’s Hospital in Westchester County to recover.
Last week, the honor student graduated from Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx, and received an award from his school for his service at Blythedale, working with kindergarten-age patients.
“I always kind of felt like I needed to give back somehow,” said Jimmy, now 17. “My school offers an internship for seniors, so I took that as an opportunity. I wanted to do something for Blythedale after they’ve given me so much.”
Born with a congenital heart defect, Jimmy had already undergone three heart surgeries by the time he was 4 years old. He suffered the stroke after a trip to a Boston hospital in third grade.
In a short time, Jimmy went from being a bright, cheerful boy who played chess and read the New York Times to a withdrawn kid who couldn’t express any thoughts or feelings.
He had to relearn everything, including motor and speech skills.
“We thought we lost him. For three days, he was in a coma,” said father Kurt Coble of his only child. “He was a real bright, shining kid with a lot of talent, and then afterwards everything was kind of dull.”
According to Dr. Jay Selman, chief of neurology at Blythedale, 6 out of 100,000 children suffer strokes. Recovery time can vary, but for most pediatric patients, it can take three to six months and continue for years at a much slower pace.
Jimmy spent three months recovering at Blythedale with a host of therapists and specialists, and enrolled in a special education program for fourth grade in his native Mamaroneck.
“Here we are, on graduation day, and I feel like I’m one of the luckiest parents anywhere,” said Kurt Coble. “I’ve got this great son who has been through an amazing journey.”
The talented musician - who picked up violin after his stroke - will attend Ursinus College, a small liberal arts school in Pennsylvania known for medicine and science.
He wants to study biology and how music affects the brain, after observing music therapy classes at Blythedale.
One day, Jimmy brought in a sensory light-up drum that his father, a Broadway musician, had built. The children - whose illnesses ranged from severe Attention Deficit Disorder to cancer - nervously stared at it.
“It looks strange - it’s a tambourine hooked up to a box with wires,” Jimmy said. “One of the kids that usually acts out in class and is really disruptive actually calmed down a lot. He likes light and sound, so it kind of combines the two.”
As a boy who was given an early introduction to hospitals, the medical field seemed like a natural calling for Jimmy.
“I’ve kind of been in and out of hospitals all my life, so I was always fascinated at how the body and brain work,” he said. “They do cool stuff.”
clestch@nydailynews.com
