Young Turkey Trot Runner Celebrating Stroke Recovery Milestone

Before she had a stroke, Jen Kray, 24, was a runner.

Kray and her best friend have a Thanksgiving tradition of running the Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot in Elmhurst, so when she began recovering, Kray set a goal to take on the race once again.

On Feb. 28, Kray had an arteriovenous malformation, and a surgery March 1 repaired the bleed in her brain, which affected an entire side of her body. When she woke up, she could only move her eyes and twitch her right thumb.

After about three weeks in the intensive care unit, she was moved to a long-term specialty hospital, then to rehab in downtown Chicago.

Six months ago, when Kray began recovering at Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in Willowbrook, she told physical therapist Maggie Smego that she would run in the turkey trot on Thanksgiving Day.

“I never expected not to recover fully, so I thought this was a totally reasonable goal,” Kray said. “And Maggie looked at me like I had lost my mind. But it’s something I really enjoy doing, and I’ve done it in the past, so I did not want to miss it.”

Smego said she told Kray they would do the trot, no matter what, even if they had to use a wheelchair or just walk part of the route. She said Kray has been working hard, and she’ll definitely be able to walk most of the trot, if not all of it.

“Jen is like the hardest working person I’ve ever met in my life,” Smego said. “Even when Jen has a bad day, she’s amazing. She’s gone through so much, and she’s eager to get better.”

Kray is studying to be an occupational therapist, and her own rehabilitation has offered a crash course in her future profession. But for now, recovery is her full-time job. Smego said they anticipate Kray will be at the Rehab Institute for another six months as she regains her independence.

But on Thursday, Kray will pull on her running spandex, eat a normal race day breakfast and drive from her home in Wheaton to Elmhurst to meet up with her friends and family. Her dog, Molly, a faithful running companion, will also join Kray in reaching her goal.

“Though I’m not running quite yet, I think this is a great way to celebrate the progress I’ve made so far, and it’s just the beginning,” Kray said. “Not every run is perfect, so this is just the first of many runs to come.”

Photos courtesy of Maggie Smego.
Photo 1: Jen and Maggie on the treadmill at therapy
Photo 2: Jen and her boyfriend, Tim, on vacation last year
Photo 3: Jen and her brother Tom camping at an adaptive camp ground
Photo 4: Jen and Tim at the Morton Arboretum in October