Senator Mark Steven Kirk suffers stroke

Great friend and defender of Weekly Blitz editor, Senator Mark Steven Kirk of Illinois, who won President Obama's former seat in 2010, were admitted to a hospital over the weekend after suffering a major stroke. The stroke, which caused swelling in the right side of his brain, will likely affect his ability to use his left arm and possibly his left leg, doctors said. It may also cause some facial paralysis. The news came as a shock to many in Washington and Illinois because Mr. Kirk, 52, a long-time intelligence officer in the naval reserve, was apparently in good physical condition.

"Fortunately the stroke was not on the left side of his brain, in which case it would affect his ability to speak, understand and think," said Richard Fessler, a neurosurgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital downtown, where Kirk was in intensive care. "We are very hopeful that when he gets through all of his recovery, all of those functions will be intact."

At a news conference on Monday, Dr. Fessler said Mr. Kirk checked himself into a nearby hospital on Saturday after experiencing dizziness and headache. There, doctors discovered a blockage in his carotid artery, which caused the stroke.

On Sunday, he was transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and rushed into surgery after he started to "deteriorate neurologically" because of swelling in his brain, according to Dr. Fessler, who performed the three-hour surgery, removing a 4-inch by 8-inch section of Mr. Kirk's skull to relieve the pressure.

"Senator Kirk is young, is in very good shape and very healthy," Dr. Fessler added, calling the surgery successful. "All those things are in his favor."

Before winning the Senate seat in 2010, Mr. Kirk was a five-term congressman with centrist leanings in a state that has, historically, elected moderate Republicans to statewide office. The race in 2010 against Alexi Giannoulias, a Democratic challenger who had served as state treasurer, had been grueling and hard fought. The seat itself had been the center of controversy – it was the job that former Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich was accused of trying to sell or trade to the highest bidder after Mr. Obama stepped down in 2008 to go to the White House.

Many of Mr. Kirk's colleagues at the state capital and in Washington have already released statements of support, including Illinois's other senator, Richard J. Durbin, who offered to help with Mr. Kirk's duties during the recovery period.

For now, doctors say it's too soon to tell how long that will take. Dr. Fessler said Mr. Kirk might not regain full use of his left arm, but he was hopeful for a full mental recovery in the coming weeks.

"We are very encouraged by the prognosis," Mr. Kirk's family said in a statement.

"Mark has always had great courage and resilience, and we are confident that the fighter in him will prevail."

On hearing the sad news from Dr. Aminul Islam from Seattle in United States, of Senator Mark Steven Kirk suffering the stroke, the editorial board of Weekly Blitz organized special prayers for the quick recovery of this heroic individual.

It may be mentioned here that, Mount Prospect resident Dr. Richard L Benkin and Senator Mark Steven Kirk [at that time Congressman] fought for the release of the Weekly Blitz editor from prison, who was false charged with sedition, treason and blasphemy by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party led coalition government with Jamaat-e-Islami. The then home secretary, Omar Faruk, who has connection with Jamaat took personal interest in bringing this false charge against Saqlah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. At that time, party mouthpiece of Jamaat, Daily Sangram published front-page editorial demanding punishment of the Weekly Blitz editor for his writings against rise of Islamist militancy as well as breeding of jihadists within the madrassas. Trial into the accusation, which was false brought against Choudhury by the BNP-Jamaat alliances, is still continuing in the Metropolitan Session Judges Court in Bangladesh since 2004.

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury continues to fight against religious extremism, Islamist militancy and Jihad through his investigative writings for past several years. Due to his investigative reports and editorials, notorious militancy group like Hizbut Tahrir was banned in Bangladesh in 2009, while publications and jihadist activities of another notorious jihadist outfit named Hizb Ut Towhid has been banned by the current government in the country.

Related Topics: International News receive the latest by email: subscribe to weekly blitz's free mailing list

Senator Mark Steven Kirk suffers stroke

Comment on this item