Michigan
Michigan fan saved after wife recognizes stroke at football game
A fan who suffered a stroke while cheering at a University of Michigan football game is celebrating a full recovery thanks to a comprehensive response that began with his wife.
During the fourth quarter of the Wolverines’ Aug. 31 season opener against Fresno State, U-M star cornerback Will Johnson intercepted a pass for a touchdown to seal a victory.
As the crowd roared, Scott Everett, 60, stood to give another spectator a two-handed high five. The longtime resident of Portage, Mich., is a self-proclaimed diehard U-M fan who has attended nearly every home football game for the last decade.
Everett’s wife, Kathy, 58, noticed something wrong with the gesture.
Scott’s left hand started to drop.
“He hesitated, and it caught my eye,” she said. “I asked him what was wrong. He said, ‘I don’t know — nothing.’”
Kathy Everett recognized the limp arm and facial droop as telltale signs of stroke. She ran up the steps of Michigan Stadium and alerted staff to the emergency.
Responders from the medical team, staffed by doctors from the U-M Health Department of Emergency Medicine’s EMS Division and paramedics and nurses from Huron Valley Ambulance, arrived to find that Scott could not stand without the support of his friends.
They placed him onto a stretcher before loading him into an ambulance.
Everett’s symptoms started around 10:30 p.m., and he arrived at University of Michigan Health’s emergency department just after 11 p.m.
Imaging showed a clot in his brain’s middle cerebral artery, a major vessel that supplies blood to parts of the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes. It is the most common artery involved in acute ischemic stroke.
Stroke response
The health care team deemed Everett to be a candidate for the clot-busting medication Tenecteplase and thrombectomy, a minimally invasive procedure to remove the obstruction.
“Five years ago, these therapies were not widely available and this would have been a major disabling stroke,” said Tarun Singh, MBBS, a neurocritical care physician at University of Michigan Health who specializes in acute neurological diseases including stroke.
“He likely would not have been able to eat, walk or remain independent. But the recognition and response were as fast as possible and got Mr. Everett here early enough to get these time-sensitive treatments.”
For every stroke, U-M Health Comprehensive Stroke Center activates a multidisciplinary response involving emergency medicine, neurology, neurointerventional radiology and neurosurgery.
Just after midnight, neurointerventionalist Zachary Wilseck, M.D., threaded a catheter from an artery in Scott Everett’s leg all the way to his brain to remove the clot.
“Even before being moved off the table, Mr. Everett was already demonstrating improving strength in his left arm and leg,” Wilseck said.
“The procedure went exactly as we’d hoped. All members of the team worked together to efficiently evaluate, diagnose and treat him.”
A life renewed
Twelve hours after the operation, Scott Everett was walking the hospital halls. He also talked about attending the next Michigan football game.
This came as a relief to Kathy Everett, who made the decision for the team to go through with the Tenecteplase and thrombectomy.
“I was a little hesitant at first as they described it until they said this is the best combination for him to have a full recovery,” she said.
“Scott is very athletic and on-the-go. The worst thing would be to not have him at all, but any form of paralysis would be very difficult for him.”
He continued with light walking after being discharged from the hospital on Sept. 3. The couple returned to the Big House to hugs and cheers from their tailgating friends the following weekend as U-M took on Texas.
Everett has continued to ramp up his physical activity. He regularly rides a stationary bike and has done some kayaking. True to their fandom, he and Kathy have not missed another U-M home game.
Still, the Everetts remain stunned by Scott’s stroke. None of his medical visits to his home providers indicated any risk for it.
Which is why, Scott says, the ability to recognize the symptoms of stroke as quickly as his wife did is so essential.
“We’ve been to so many football games and seen the medical team in action, which is always so impressive,” he said. “I was so active and felt somewhat invincible. As surprised as we were, it can happen to anyone. And I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Kathy.”
To identify signs of a stroke, remember the acronym B.E. F.A.S.T.:
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Porter Martone becomes first teenager to score game-winning goals in his first two NHL playoff games.
Porter Martone becomes first teenager to score game-winning goals in his first two NHL playoff games.
Three Michigan State recruits will represent Team USA at the world U18 hockey championships in Bratislava and Trencin, Slovakia.
The U.S. opens against Czechia on Wednesday (10 a.m., The Hockey Network).
The future Spartans are: defenseman Nick Bogas (Royal Oak), defenseman Tyler Martyniuk (Washington Township) and forward Brooks Rogowski (Brighton).
Other local commits include: defenseman Abe Barnett (University of Michigan) and goalie Luke Carrithers (Western Michigan).
Team USA’s head coach is Nick Fohr (Dexter) with Kevin Porter (Northville) and Dan Darrow (Livonia) among the assistant coaches.
The tournament features 10 countries with the final scheduled for May 2.
Bruins tie series with Sabres
The visiting Boston Bruins scored three second-period goals and held off a late Buffalo Sabres rally to post a 4-2 win on Tuesday and even their Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series at one victory apiece.
Viktor Arvidsson scored in the last two periods, giving the Bruins 1-0 and 4-0 leads. Morgan Geekie and Pavel Zacha also lit the lamp for Boston, which heads home for Game 3 of the best-of-seven series on Thursday.
Jonathan Aspirot, Casey Mittelstadt and David Pastrnak each dished out two assists for the Bruins, and Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves.
Bowen Byram and Peyton Krebs scored as Buffalo climbed within 4-2 in the closing minutes.
Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed four goals on 19 shots before Alex Lyon entered in relief following Arvidsson’s second marker, which came just 16 seconds into the third period.
Buffalo had a 36-26 shot advantage, including 20-8 in the third period, but its power play went 0-for-5. Boston finished 1-for-6 on the man advantage.
The physical contest featured 47 penalty minutes for each team.
Following a scoreless opening period, the Bruins took over in the second, scoring on three of their 11 shots against Luukkonen.
Arvidsson broke the deadlock 4:54 into the middle frame, taking Aspirot’s lob pass in ahead of the defense and beating Luukkonen five-hole with a backhander from the left circle.
A gaffe by Luukkonen helped Boston double its lead with 3:31 left in the period, as Geekie’s high backhanded dump from the far side of center ice eluded him over the glove.
The Bruins’ power play got in on the action 1:41 later. After Geekie’s one- handed keep-in at the blue line extended the play, Zacha tipped in Pastrnak’s shot from the top of the right circle while stationed in the bumper position.
Arvidsson made it 4-0 early in the third, prompting Sabres coach Lindy Ruff to change goaltenders. Aspirot banked a long feed off the boards to set up the play, leading Arvidsson down the left wing to score on a 2-on-1 rush with Zacha.
The Sabres struck twice in a 1:14 span to make things interesting. Byram accepted Beck Malenstyn’s back pass for a wrister from the top of the right circle to break Swayman’s shutout bid with 6:06 left.
Krebs soon made it 4-2, batting down and scoring the rebound of a Rasmus Dahlin point shot that caromed off the post and back into the crease.
Detroit Red Wings received six A’s in The Detroit News’ final grades for the 2025-2026 season.
Grades and key takeaways for Finnie, Gibson, Seider, Larkin, Raymond and DeBrincat after the Wings’ late collapse.
Michigan mother of three talks about how she broke her kratom addiction
Melanie Clark, 35, of Kincheloe in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has fought a four-year-long addiction to kratom, the so-called “gas station heroin.”
Michigan lawmakers are debating a complete ban on the sale of kratom products in the state, citing cases of addiction and instances of death from people consuming the herbal supplement known as the “gas station heroin.”
Here is what to know about this unregulated herbal substance commonly sold in convenience stores, gas stations and tobacco shops across Michigan:
What is kratom?
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia whose leaves contain compounds that can produce stimulant effects at low doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses. It is manufactured and sold in different forms: liquid tonics, tablets, gummies, powders and capsules.
What is kratom used for?
Kratom is marketed as a herbal supplement for energy, mood, pain relief or opioid withdrawal, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any of those uses. Some kratom users take it to get off heroin or fentanyl, according to University of Michigan researchers.
How is kratom pronounced?
Kratom is pronounced KRA-tum. The letter “a” takes a short “a” sound, as in crab or crack.
What is 7-OH?
7-hydroxymitragynin, or 7-OH, is an alkaloid found in kratom leaves. It is manufactured in a synthetic form to produce an opioid-like sensation of pain relief or sedation. It is more potent than pure leaf kratom and sometimes referred to as the hard liquor version of kratom (if pure leaf kratom were considered beer, which typically has a much lower percentage of alcohol by volume compared with distilled liquor).
Is kratom an opioid or addictive?
Kratom users, substance abuse counselors and doctors report symptoms of dependence and withdrawal from the substance, particularly when users exceed the recommended serving size.
The Drug Enforcement Agency has warned that kratom has “sedative effects” that “can lead to addiction.”
On July 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration moved to declare certain 7-hydroxymitragynine synthetic kratom products a Schedule I controlled substance, the same class of drugs as heroin, ecstasy and peyote. As of April 9, the substance had not yet been formally added to the list of Schedule I drugs, which would effectively ban 7-OH nationwide.
Does kratom have side effects?
The FDA has warned that kratom use can lead to liver toxicity, seizures or substance use disorder.
Withdrawal from the substance can lead to increased anxiety, insomnia and psychiatric episodes, according to University of Michigan researchers.
Dr. Eliza Hutchinson, a family physician based in Ann Arbor who is a clinical instructor at UM, said her substance abuse patients describe withdrawal from kratom as “the worst influenza of your life — times 10.”
CARE Southeastern Michigan, a recovery advocacy group, has reported some individuals experiencing psychotic episodes after taking 7-OH, the synthetic form of kratom.
The FDA has also said kratom is “not appropriate for use as a dietary supplement” and unsafe as an additive to food. The powder and liquid forms of kratom are sometimes marketed as an additive to shakes and smoothies.
Does kratom show up on a drug test?
Yes, if it’s part of a specialized screening of narcotics and other substances that looks for active ingredients in kratom products.
Some substance abuse clinics in Michigan are starting to test for it, said Madison Lauder, a counselor at The Guidance Center in Southgate.
“We see you so often, we have added into our (drug test) panel,” Lauder said.
Is there any age restriction on buying kratom in Michigan?
No, Michigan has no laws governing the sale of kratom and related synthetics, such as 7-OH.
But retailers set their own rules. Some stores won’t sell to anyone under age 21.
Some of the 7-OH kratom products on the shelves of stores are labeled “21+.”
But there’s no law on the books in Michigan requiring buyers to show a photo ID when buying kratom, as is required to purchase alcohol, tobacco or marijuana.
Which states have bans on selling kratom?
Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin have outright bans on the sale of kratom.
In December, Ohio’s Board of Pharmacy used the state’s controlled substance laws to ban the retail sale, distribution and possession of 7-OH and other synthetic forms of kratom, board spokesman Cameron McNamee said.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has a separate proposal to ban natural kratom products that remains in the rulemaking process, McNamee said.
Some cities and counties across the country have imposed varying local sales bans, including Anaheim, Calif., Spokane, Wash., and the New York City suburbs of Nassau County on Long Island, according to published reports.
What’s the status of legislation to ban kratom in Michigan?
On March 18, the Republican-controlled Michigan House voted 56-48 on legislation that would completely ban the sale of kratom products in Michigan. All 46 Democrats and two Republicans opposed the legislation.
Democrats cited a lack of any committee hearings on the legislation.
“There is no question of the growing concern around this product, and no one is saying, with this vote or otherwise, that the concern isn’t justified,” the House Democratic caucus said in a statement. “What we are saying is an outright ban, without any testimony or dialogue, is not the solution.”
The bill moved to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, assigned it to her Government Operations Committee.
Some kratom industry interests and individual users have advocated for a ban on just the 7-OH synthetic form of kratom.
Sen. Kevin Hertel, the St. Clair Shores Democrat who chairs the Senate Health Policy Committee, said the House’s passage of a total ban on kratom has changed the debate toward prohibition, which he favors until the FDA can further study the substance and its impact on the human body.
clivengood@detroitnews.com
Staff Writers Anne Snabes and Beth LeBlanc contributed.
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