via GoFundMe
“Dear PoPville,
One of the unseen perils of the stay-at-home orders is the loss of visibility of those who live alone and are no longer reporting to work or scheduled activities. Unfortunately, a tragic situation recently arose from this type of circumstance with Steve Parker, a beloved tennis coach in the greater D.C. area.
Steve, who lives alone, suffered a severe MCA stroke sometime between April 1 and April 6. His classes during that period had been canceled, and his phone shows that he did not respond to calls and text messages. Steve was ultimately found by his brothers collapsed, barely conscious, and confused.
It is not known whether Steve’s stroke was caused by the COVID-19 virus as he was not administered a test at the hospital and has yet to receive an antibody test. It is clear, however, that he would have been discovered much sooner had his teaching schedule not been interrupted.
Many tennis players and parents in our community know Steve. He has taught tennis to adults and children with TenniStar Sports at Sport & Health Bethesda and has been a fixture in the Montgomery County and Greater DC tennis communities for decades. Steve has coached countless students, and many college and high school tennis players credit their careers to his coaching.
Steve initially lost the use of his right side and his ability to speak as a result of the stroke. He is currently in an inpatient therapy facility. There is no set timeline for recovery, and Steve faces the very real possibility that he will not regain full use of his body.
You can learn more about Steve, the circumstances surrounding his stroke, and the treatment he is undergoing by reading the campaign I recently set up on GoFundMe and its associated Facebook page.”