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Pastva file

* Name:?Mary Lou Pastva

* Age: 79; turns 80 in November

* Hometown: Born and raised in Martinsburg, leaving only for about five years before returning home

* Employment: Mary Lou was a nurse for more than 40 years. She was a registered nurse and supervisor in the emergency room at Nason Hospital, then a hospital in Illinois. She retired when she was 65 years old to become a "full-time grandmother."

* Family: Husband, Michael Sr.; sons Gerald and Michael Jr.; daughter, Lori Brumbaugh; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a sister, Marti Latz

MARTINSBURG - Mary Lou Pastva is quiet in her wheelchair as her husband, Michael, pushes her through the halls at The Village of Morrisons Cove.

He pats her shoulders and calls her "Mom" and "Babes."

"This is my sweetheart," he said. "My sweetheart of 57 years."

His sweetheart needed her family's unending love and support over the past 10 months after a stroke in December 2008 sent her to a hospital in Pittsburgh, then one in Johnstown before entering rehabilitation for a few weeks - all the while doctors preparing the family for the worst.

"They said she wouldn't be able to utter more than a 'yes' or 'no,'" Michael said of her first uncertain weeks of recovery. "They told her it would be a long time."

Mary Lou still cannot walk, but she speaks clearly and recalls specific details such as years or names in mere seconds. She will turn 80 next month.

Mary Lou's sister, Marti Latz, said the support from family, friends and the Pastva's church has helped make the process of transition an easier one for her sister, who she calls "Nanie."

"I think one of Nanie's greatest attributes is her Christian belief that has been so strong for her and also her will to go on," she said. "That's how the family has supported her."

Mary Lou's three children - sons, Gerald and Michael Jr., and daughter, Lori Brumbaugh - along with her husband, have been with Mary Lou practically around the clock since her stroke.

"The support helps," Mary Lou said. "My children, I rely on them."

Brumbaugh said her mother's story shows what great things can happen through prayer, faith and support.

"She's a miracle that she's still here with us," Brumbaugh said. "We've really as a family persevered through a great deal, but she's the one who has actually been through it."

Mary Lou went from not speaking and using a feeding tube to get nutrients to teaching herself to eat and function primarily with the left side of her body.

"My goal would be to walk and to talk more clearly," Mary Lou said.

Small triumphs, such as holding items with both hands are happening frequently, Brumbaugh said.

"You just never give up," she said. "You come to a trial and you just have faith and keep moving forward. I always say to Mom, 'We're not giving up.' When it comes down to it, it's all about love."

Mary Lou echoes that sentiment in her quiet voice.

"I look to the future," she said, offering advice for difficult times. "Don't forget the Lord either. Keep your eye on Jesus."

Mary Lou, a resident of the Cove for all but five years, was a nurse for more than 40 years at Nason Hospital in Roaring Spring. Her skills in health care came in handy as her body fought to recover this year, to the point where she would help with her own feeding tube, her daughter said.

After her retirement at age 65, Mary Lou adopted another full-time job as grandmother to her seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

"She's loaded with compassion," her husband said.

Michael met his wife as one of her patients during her nursing days.

"You see the growing up, and the different stages they go through" Mary Lou said of the time with her grandchildren. "It's like your own children."

Her husband says Mary Lou looks forward to his daily visits.

"I'm with her every day," he said. "I'm loyal to her. I would spend my last penny on her."

Still fully armed with a sense of humor, Mary Lou replies, "That's good," with a sly smile.

"See how quick she is?" he retorts with a smile. "She's our sweetheart. I'd do it all over again."

Mary Lou said she gets through the tough times day by day, step by step.

"I don't know what's ahead of me," she said. "You can't just dwell on what happened. You have to move ahead, move on."

Mirror Staff Writer Wendy McCardle Zook is at 946-7520.