Doctors save life of Chester County baseball coach after suffering stroke

CALN TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A Chester County youth baseball coach is thanking the doctors who saved his life after he suffered a stroke.

John Monaghan has been coaching kids in Caln Township ever since his three sons were old enough to play. That all changed in 2021 when he had a medical emergency.

"I want to be Saturday John again," Monaghan said about his recovery.

The stroke happened on a Sunday.

"I suspect they probably figured out what the problem was or what it might be, but they were calling it vertigo," he recalled.

He originally went to Chester County Hospital and then was airlifted to The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

"It was the medical lottery, all these clots hit my heart as that flap popped up, went right up to my brain, and took me out," he said.

"They (the doctors) saved my life," he added.

Monaghan says the stroke would have killed him if he had not had a doctor like Dr. Christopher Favilla.

"It also presents a huge challenge for emergency room providers and first responders to be able to recognize with dizziness as being potentially at risk of experiencing a stroke," said Dr. Favilla, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Now, the same doctors who saved his life are helping Monaghan get his health back. He's learning to walk again and regaining his strength so one day he can come back to the field.

"There's a huge piece to it, that's hard work and perseverance," said Monaghan.

Monaghan isn't back to coaching just yet, but as he continues to heal, he's realized he's in no rush.

Because as much as he loves the game, he loves his team at home even more.

"I'll be at my oldest son's college graduation Friday. I'll be at my middle son's graduation from Coatesville on June 8," he said.

While Monaghan may not be in the dugout, he's home and healthy, and that's what matters most.