By Brad Friedman on 9/15/2019, 12:22pm PT  

Apologies for my sudden (and continuing) absence here. Late on Wednesday night (9/11!), I received a phone call from my mother regarding my otherwise-ridiculously healthy 80-year old father...

After waking up at 6am that morning to play 18 holes of golf with mom on the same day --- all without a problem or complaint --- my dad, later in the evening, suffered a very serious stroke. A pretty massive brain hemorrhage, in fact. Largely out of nowhere...just two days or so after they'd finished a month-long road trip around much of the Western portion of the country. As I said, he --- and she --- are otherwise absurdly active and healthy.

An all-night drive through the desert brought us to his bedside just after dawn, where we've largely been since. He is receiving top-notch medical care, is still on a ventilator, sedated, and largely unconscious, though displaying a number of potentially encouraging signs for someone who has experienced such a serious trauma to the brain.

This is largely my first moment back on "the grid" as we've been dealing with this crisis, but I wanted to quickly jump on here to explain my (and Desi's) sudden and unavoidable disappearance.

It's still too early to know which way all of this goes, and how long it may take to get there. For the moment, we are unspeakably grateful to Nicole Sandler and Angie Coiro for agreeing to leap in to action here to fill in for us on The BradCast in the immediate moment. We've temporarily suspended production of Green News Report for the first time in its 10+ year history (on the verge of our 1000th episode, which had been expected in the next month or two). But, for the moment, we have little choice.

We hope to return to full production as soon as possible. But the truth is, at this hour, we don't actually know what is possible and what is not. So, thank you for your patience, your kind support of our heroic guest hosts Nicole and Angie, filling in for as long as they are able to pull double-duty, and for your understanding until we can regain our sea-legs amid our own confusion and disorientation as Dad, hopefully, somehow, regains his health if it is medically possible.

I don't frequently share personal information publicly, but felt it was important to do so, so you'd understand why we, uncharacteristically and unhappily, have had to disappear here for a bit. We look forward to returning, though can't yet know when or how. Please keep fighting the good fight out there on our behalf, as we fight for my Dad and Mom here.

Here's a worthwhile page regarding stroke symptoms that is worth reviewing, since quick action may save your life or that of a loved one. My Dad's own wherewithal to call 911 in the early moments may ultimately prove to have saved his life. But we'll see.

Please hug your loved ones for us. Or just get out there and enjoy the hell out of the day. They are always numbered.

-- Brad (and Desi by proxy)

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UPDATE 9/30/2019: My father has passed away. More details now here...

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