Dan Gilbert - disabled but recovering - gives first interview

[Lowell]

It was very encouraging to read Dan Gilbert's interview by Crains. Grateful and humbled he has a long path of recovery but his wits and will are all there. Here are some snippets, in case the article is still behind the paywall.

On the Saturday night before Memorial Day, Dan Gilbert and his wife, Jennifer, were hosting friends on the roof of his downtown Detroit apartment at the Vinton Building.

High-powered lights were beaming from nearby Hart Plaza as concertgoers danced to the blaring beat of electronic music at the annual Movement Music Festival along the Detroit riverfront.

That's when Dan Gilbert started "seeing double people."

"I thought it had to do with [[the lights)," the Quicken Loans Inc. founder recalled.

It didn't.

Gilbert plans to make his first public speech since the stroke Friday at the Crain's Newsmakers of the Year luncheon at MGM Grand Detroit casino, where he'll be honored with the first Newsmaker Hall of Fame award for his frequent appearances on the list of top Newsmakers in Crain's 35-year history.

"When you have a stroke, here's the problem with it: Everything is hard. Everything," Gilbert said. "Like you wake up, getting out of bed is hard, going to the bathroom is hard, sitting down eating at a table is hard. You name it. You don't get a break. You're like trapped in your own body."

Hours before gathering with friends on his rooftop patio, Gilbert sent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer text messages pledging to help her get a long-term road-funding deal with the Legislature, according to aides to the governor and businessman.

The ensuing hours ended up being a life-changing experience that Gilbert says he's "very lucky" to have survived to tell.

The health scare has left Gilbert physically thinner, though he's sporting a thicker, white beard. His speech is clear, if quiet.

Gilbert uses a wheelchair to get around the mortgage company's One Campus Martius headquarters, alongside a black lab service dog named Cowboy.

"There's exercises that we're doing where I can move it from here and up to here and there's a ball there," Gilbert said as he used his dominant right hand to move his left arm around the table.

"I can grab a ball and drop it into a box sometimes," he said. "But not always."

Those are minor setbacks, considering Gilbert was immobile "dead weight" the day after the stroke, he said.

As for recovery, he said, "the [[left) leg is almost there," Gilbert said. "I can walk with a cane and all that. It just takes a little longer in the arm."

The experience and level of care at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab taught a fintech mogul who pays Cleveland Cavaliers basketball players millions of dollars a few things about talent in the health care industry.

"First of all, the hardest-working people in the world are these nurses and nurse assistants," Gilbert said. "I have no idea what they get paid, but I'm certain they're underpaid — because you can't pay them enough.

"I mean, none of us would do for 20 minutes what they do nine hours a day every day of the week," he added.

Gilbert said he doesn't know how he could bring a similar facility to Detroit, but it's on his mind.

"You know, we've got great people everywhere," he said. "If this teaches you anything, it teaches you gratitude, right?"

Keep up the recovery Dan!

[stasu1213]

I am glad that he is making a come back however slowly. I can’t wait to see the final rendering of the Hudson’s Tower or whatever the name will finally be. I hope that it will make up in design that it could not make in height

[9936Sussex]

Good to hear his voice. I think he’s very fortunate he survived this. I’m glad he’s recovering and wish him well in his continuing recovery.

[EGrant]

He was pretty quick to tell Livengood that the height might not be finalized. Thought that was interesting.