When I first started at Spaulding Rehab on the first Friday after my stroke, all I had was a Penn State t-shirt. My first therapy was on Saturday and I was nervous about everything I would have to do that day. I was in a wheelchair at the gym.
One of my doctors said, “We Are …”. I certainly knew the response, “Penn State”. My aphasia could not find the answer I knew was needed. All I could say was “yes”.
Dr. Thomas was an Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School in Cape Cod and Boston. She was not my doctor, but he told me that she was from Temple University, and her son was a football player at Penn State.
I wanted Dr. Thomas to know that I was a Penn State graduate and a huge fan.
At Penn State in 1973, I started to play soccer. When I was in 1975, my brother joined to play soccer too. In 1977, we played in a spring practice against the alumni and current team.
One of my friends at Penn State was Char Morett. She was a tremendous Field Hockey and Lacrosse player. She is the field hockey coach at Penn State and has been more than 30 years. We are still friends today.
I was a huge Penn State football fan. For many years I have season tickets to go to almost all of the games. One year we saw the Rose Bowl game. We lost the game but it was exciting.
At a Coaches Caravan Tour in Washington, DC, I had a chance to see Char, the former Penn State basketball coach, Pat Chambers, and James Franklin, the football coach.
I finished finding out my “research” about Dr. Thomas’s son at Penn State football on my iPad. I found an article on the Penn State roster in 2018. Jonathan Thomas was on the 2018 roster as a fifth year as a running back. He was from Peabody, Massachusetts, and went to St. John’s Prep.
PERSONAL
Full name is Johnathan Benjamin Thomas…Son of Nathan and Ann-Marie Thomas…Has one older brother, Nathan…Earned a “WOW” Award for his volunteer work at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital…Enjoys playing sports and keeping fit, music and spending time with his family and friends…Graduate in December 2017 with a degree in socially…Pursuing a second degree in journalism and is on pace to graduate in May 2018…Born June 7, 1995, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
