With four children aged 8 to 16, there’s never a dull, quiet moment in the home of Dr. Eli Kim and his wife, Susie Kim, who grew up together in Canada before marrying. The family has always engaged in an adventurous lifestyle.
Eli Kim, 48, said via phone he was active before an early August sporting incident on a family trip to Hayden Lake in Idaho ultimately may have triggered a stroke down the line. Weight training, tennis, pickleball and more filled his days in between his time working as a physician at his dermatology-focused practice called Clear Derm Clinic in Ooltewah.
May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and doctors want people to be aware of the signs and symptoms — both typical and unusual — that a stroke is occurring. In Eli Kim’s case, symptoms did not begin until a few weeks after his time on the water.
His wife of 20 years and chief operating officer at their office, Susie Kim, said family time is one of her husband’s most prominent values. So, when his two sons said they wanted to wakeboard, Eli Kim didn’t hesitate to try with them, despite his lack of exposure.