CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In our series, Carolina Has Heart, we recognize those that are inspiring others in our community.
A very special woman who started a stroke survivor support group in the area has been a real inspiration to one person in particular.
"Some of my coworkers found me."
Jon Loeb is a stroke survivor.
"My left arm and hand don't work well."
But what's inspired Jon to get better?
"We come to see Lorrie every chance we get."
It's the support of Lorrie Hampton.
"I love to help people; it's the way I was raised."
Back in 2013, she thought something was missing.
"I realized that our area needed a stroke support group."
So Lorrie started one. And she's been changing patients lives ever since.
"She does more than she has to. She comes and visits and goes and sees people."
"I was in the waiting room which I hate sitting by myself. So I snuck over in the corner used the phone and called Lorrie and she could see the caller ID and she and a bunch of the girls came and visited me. So she does a lot of things that she doesn't have to."
Jon, one of the original members of the support group, has been supporting Lorrie since day one.
"I'll never forget the first time I saw Jon come through the door he was smiling he's always smiling he's attitude is unbelievable."
And what inspires Lorrie?
"We have our Strides for Stroke 5K that we started back in 2015, and it's a run up in Kannapolis, but we focus on stroke awareness, and we focus on our stroke survivors and their families."
"We have a stroke survivor lap, and Jon gets up outta that wheelchair, and he walks across the finish line of the stroke survivor lap, and it's amazing."
The Strides for Stroke 5K is Saturday at 9 a.m. in Kannapolis.