Family, friends say city commissioner making quick recovery from stroke

A popular Corbin City Commissioner, who suffered a stroke Feb. 21 at his home, is improving by leaps and bounds in a Tennessee hospital, family members say.

Bruce Farris, a local certified public accountant and member of the city’s five-member board of commissioners, is undergoing intensive physical therapy at Fort Sanders Medical Center in Knoxville, Tenn. today to undo damage caused by the stroke. He was mostly paralyzed on his right side and was unable to speak or eat shortly after it happened about midday Feb. 21.

Fellow commissioner Phil Gregory said Tuesday Farris is making quick progress on the road to recovery.

"He’s strong and he’s taken a positive attitude toward it," Gregory said. "He’s not getting down on himself. He’s really trying hard to come back and he’s getting better day by day."

Karen Farris, Bruce’s wife, said Tuesday that her husband can now communicate to some degree and is able to eat regular meals. She said near constant physical therapy has been exhausting, but fruitful.

Initially, doctors thought Farris would be transported back to Corbin to convalesce for a stint before returning to Fort Sanders for physical therapy. Since he has improved so quickly, they instead put him straight into the program.

Farris operates an accounting firm on Kentucky Ave. in downtown Corbin. The office had been closed since his stroke but reopened Tuesday.

Karen Farris said it will be offering full accounting and tax services as usual and that professionals are on hand to fill in until her husband can return to work.