New Scobey Teacher Finds Life Is Blessing

Health Recovery

When the new school year started on Wednesday, Aug. 19, in Scobey, many students and staff members were feeling some stress with the challenges of the first day. Those feelings, however, weren’t anything compared to what new Scobey teacher Pat Hardy felt exactly two years earlier.

On Aug. 19, 2024, Hardy wasn’t in the classroom. Instead, he was on the surgery table for 12 hours with a spontaneous left parietal intraparenchymal hemorrhage. The Fairview native underwent a craniotomy with AV fistuala disconnection in Fargo, N.D., to repair his bleeding brain.

“Basically, it was an artery that just blew up,” said Hardy, now a physical education teacher in Scobey.

Until the attack, he was leading a healthy and active life. He was serving as the head football coach at Minot Ryan High School in North Dakota. After conducting a pre-season practice, Hardy and some friends went to the golf course for an anticipated relaxing round.

All was fine until the sixth hole when Hardy was hit by an abnormal feeling. “I didn’t fall, but it was felt like a crack happened in my brain,” he remembers.

He admits that he didn’t use his best judgment as he kept golfing. “I just felt like it was a stressful day with school starting.”

After the ninth hole, Hardy decided to take an Advil and then went to finish the 18-hole course.

It was at about the 15th hole that his condition began to become worse. “I started to notice I wasn’t speaking as well as I could,” Hardy explained. “My friends asked me if I was all right.”

Hardy managed to drive himself home where he ate some food and took a shower. When his wife, Salina, called from out of town, Hardy struggled to make any sense with his speech. “That’s when I knew I had problems.”

He went to the emergency room in Minot where he was told that he had a bleeding stroke. “By midnight, I was on a plane to Fargo,” Hardy said. “With my faith and trying to be a strong individual, I told my wife that it was out of our hands.”

Hardy said that doctors were able to stop the bleeding that night, but then surgery ended up being needed. The diagnostic cerebral angiogram was planned to take 5-6 hours, but the area couldn’t be coiled or glued. The decision was made to have a craniotomy with AV fistula disconnection. After his wife gave consent to fix the entire artery, Hardy was on the operating table for 12 hours. Hardy is thankful that his wife has a healthcare background and was able to make the correct decision.

Recovering then included many obstacles. Hardy couldn’t walk for a few days, couldn’t feel his right side and his speech wasn’t correct.

He was told that it would take time in order for him to get back to normal for walking and speaking. With great determination, Hardy was back teaching and coaching before Christmas.

“I was pretty blessed,” Hardy said. At his most recent doctor’s appointment, Hardy was told that he was extremely close to 100 percent.

“I speak and walk and everything just fine,” Hardy said. He adds that he might get “a little tick” if he had a very long day and got very little sleep.

His energy level is certainly back to normal as he isn’t just teaching but also currently an assistant football coach for the Spartans. Scobey’s football players can testify that he isn’t short of energy or being able to share his knowledge. This winter, he takes over the head coaching duties for Scobey’s girls’ basketball program.

“I’ve always wanted to be a head coach. I wanted to have that impact on people,” Hardy said regarding his love of education. “I want to be a positive.”

Hardy’s high school career included being All-State in football for three years and also earning All-State honors in basketball.

He stresses his EARTH philosophy to his players of Effort, Attitude, Response, Thoughts and Habits. He noted that all of those elements can be achieved with the proper mindset.

“You can control your Earth. Then, you will have a great life,” Hardy explained. “That’s why I love it. You have the chance.”

Succeeding whether it’s a big win on the court or recovering much quicker from a health crisis, Hardy is an example of mental determination and great effort.

“It’s a blessing to play this game. It’s a blessing,” Hardy said.