U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk has stroke, could have problems with left arm, leg

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Sen. Mark Kirk

Updated: February 27, 2012 8:30AM

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) has had a stroke and underwent “successful” surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he is recovering.

After being stricken Saturday, Kirk, 52, who is divorced and lives in Highland Park’s Fort Sheridan neighborhood, drove himself to Lake Forest Hospital, “where doctors discovered a carotid artery dissection in the right side of his neck,” his office said.

Kirk was later transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where tests showed that he had suffered an ischemic stroke, his staff said, and he underwent surgery to relieve swelling around his brain.

Dr. Richard Fessler, a neurosurgeon at Northwestern Memorial, said the senator suffered a stroke” to the right side of his brain. What that means is it will affect his ability to move his left arm and possibly his left leg.”

It also could result in “some facial paralsysis,” the surgeon said.

He said it was fortunate that the stroke didn’t involve the left side of the brain, which could have affected the senator’s ability to speak and think.

Those sentiments were echoed Monday by several Highland Park residents, including Mayor Nancy Rotering.

“First and foremost Senator Kirk is our Highland Park neighbor,” Rotering said. “We are a close and caring community and we are all wishing and praying for a speedy recovery.”

Rotering and Kirk first met while working on issues related to stem cell research, and she’s also particpated in several of Kirk’s local roundtables.

“I’ve appreciated getting to know him over the years both as a congressman and now as our senator,” she said.

“He’s been a strong supporter of diabetes research, and that’s how we first got to know him,” Rotering added. “I know many people, including myself, are also very supportive of his strong support of Israel.

“Senator Kirk has been an advocate for Highland Park.”

Former Highland Park Mayor Michael D. Belsky said his heart sank when he heard of Kirk’s stroke.

“As a friend, I’m quite concerned,” Belsky said. “He’s a young man and he has so much to offer as a senator but also as a person. I hope they caught it early enough that no major damage was done.”

Belsky’s eight years leading Highland Park overlapped four of Kirk’s congressional terms. Together, they worked on the residential redevelopment of Fort Sheridan and secured school funding for local military children.

“I hope he has a speedy recovery, not just for Highland Parkers, but for all of Illinois,” Belsky said.

Highland Park resident Jill Hurwitz added that even though her personal politics differ, she has long supported Kirk.

“Personally I’m a Democrat but I’ve supported Mark all the way through because I think he has been wonderful,” Hurwitz said.

Jill and her husband, Joel, were friends with Kirk before he was elected to Congress. They even attended his wedding.

“We gave him one of his first coffees,” Jill said.

Joel has worked on every Kirk campaign since.

“All I can say at this time is I’m really hoping he gets better real soon,” Joel said. “I’m just pretty upset, but at the same time he is a fighter and I’m confident he’ll pull through.”

Kirk’s surgery took place Sunday night and involved “removing a part of his skull to relieve swelling,” Dr. Fessler said.

Kirk took himself to the hospital Saturday after suffering dizziness and a headache, and, once he was transferred Sunday to Northwestern Memorial, his condition was deteriorating.

Kirk, who started out in Washington as a member of then-U.S. Rep. John Edward Porter’s staff in 1984, served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate in 2010, winning the seat formerly held by President Barack Obama in a close race against Democrat Alexi Giannoulias. Kirk is also an officer in the Navy Reserves.

Hearing of Kirk’s stroke was “shocking news,” Cadigan said. “He was the leader of the office softball team, touch football and a sailing regatta.” Cadigan said Kirk also organized an annual canoe trip down the Potomac River.

“He was very fit, and being in the Navy, he had to pass twice-a-year physicals,” Cadigan said. “I think his youth and his level of fitness will allow him to recover in the way the doctors say he will.”

The fact that he got himself to the hospital shows “he kept himself composed and got the care he needed, and it sounds like just in the nick of time,” Cadigan said.

“Regardless of their party affiliation, I’m sure everybody along the North Shore wishes him a complete and speedy recovery,” Cadigan said. “Mark is uniquely a strong voice for pursuing bipartisan policy and we can’t afford to lose one member in that cause, let alone a leader of Mark’s stature in that cause.”

Kirk’s colleagues in Congress also offered him their best wishes for his recovery.

“It’s hard to imagine that anything could slow him down for long,” U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) said. “All of us in the delegation are pulling for his full and speedy recovery.”

U.S. Rep. Bob Dold (R-10th) of Kenilworth said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with Senator Kirk and his family today.”

U.S. Sen. John McCain tweeted that his “thoughts and prayers” are with his colleague and wished him “a speedy recovery.”

— Staff Writers Charles Berman and Kimberly Fornek contributed.