Max
12-11-2002, 03:50 PM
Rox. barber's wife assumes his duties
By: Rich Van Fossen Jr. December 11, 2002
While Jim O'Connor battles disease, spouse Jerry saves family business
Longtime local barber Jim O'Connor is fighting the battle of his life.
Jim was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, in 1996. His wife Jerry tells the Review that Jim sends his best to all of his friends and former customers.
"Jim is doing well," she said. "Some people are afraid to ask. It is hard for people who were close to Jim. He thinks of them all the time. I also read The Review to him, so he knows what's going on in the community."
Jim cannot speak anymore and is on a ventilator at all times. This keeps him alive. Jerry is by his side whenever she is not running Jim's old barber business on Manayunk Ave.
Jim O'Connor's battle began eight years ago, when he began to suffer from arthritis. Though he took medicine for that, ALS most likely developed between 1994 and 1996.
ALS is a motor neuron disease. Motor neuron diseases are progressive chronic diseases of the nerves that come from the spinal cord responsible for supplying electrical stimulation to the muscles. This stimulation is necessary for the movement of body parts.
Right after the diagnosis was the roughest time. Jim qualified for a Brain Derived Neuron Factor study at Hahnemann University Hospital. Although he was in the reputable study, the hospital could not pay for the medicine and equipment that Jim needed. At the time Jerry and Jim had no medical insurance.
"Our family and friends came in and really helped us," Jerry explains. "Our nieces and nephews had a benefit in 1998. There was also a golf outing and dinner dance at Keenan's. One benefit, at St. John's, hosted 554 people. We were overwhelmed with the generosity of people and we greatly appreciated it."
The Lions Club of Roxborough donated a van for Jim to be transported in. Jerry learned how to drive the van so that she could take him to his doctor's appointments. Now the O'Connors receive Social Security and Medicare benefits, so the financial pressure has been alleviated.
"Medicare has been wonderful," said Jerry.
In 1998, two years after Jim's diagnosis, the couple had a dilemma. Jim had to leave his barber shop business because he was too sick.
Without that income, how would the couple survive?
At the time Jerry was working at a delicatessen. Jim suggested that she take over the business.
Jerry's first reaction was that her husband was going crazy. She never cut hair in her life. But Jim did not want to close the shop, so after very little thought, Jerry decided to go for it.
She would go to school to learn to become a barber. Jim could also teach one student per year, based on a barber teacher's license Jerry logged in 1250 hours, worked with her husband, took the state boards and passed.
"I was in a trance," she explained. "I thought I was going to pass out when the first boy came in and wanted his head shaved. Jim's customers were very sweet. Though I was afraid to take too much hair off of heads, I soon got used to it."
Jim was thrilled.
She added, "I knew the business. I had worked for Pat Tancredi Wig Shop and Salon LC. I washed heads before," she said. "I have always loved the public."
Jack Wheeler and Len Simon (longtime local barbers) also offered help and kept in contact. Wheeler helped with benefits and the golf outing.
"I just went through the motions to get through school and to take care of Jim. He would say to me, 'You should have done this long ago. We could have done this business together,'" she said. "He would always tell me to hang in there."
Jim was in the Hahnemann University study for three years. During that time Jerry had to give him three needles a day. The researchers did not get the positive results that they were looking for.
Since then, Jim takes a drug called baclofen, mostly used for spinal cord injury patients. He has a companion who comes to his house Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to take care of him. Jerry is home everyday at 5 p.m. sharp to take over.
The disease does not effect his brain or heart, so Jim knows what is going on around him, even though he cannot communicate. Though he is burdened with a thrache and a feeding tube, he definitely wants to live.
He will be 62 years old on Dec. 24.
Jim, who grew up on Baldwin St., and Jerry, from Levering St., met during the golden age of the late 1950s in Roxborough.
Jerry frequented the popular Holy Family dances and Jim and his friends would spend their free time at North Light Boys Club. The couple dated for five years and were married in 1962.
Jim began his career working for Victory Metals, but according to Jerry, he always wanted to be a barber. He finished his studies at barber school in 1960.
Besides cutting hair, his great passion was playing the drums, which he did for many years. Throughout the 1960s and '70s, one could find him at the Erie Social Club, VFW posts, Audubon Inn, D'Angelo's, Scuttlebut, Austin's and Lombardi's, playing with a variety of bands.
He opened his first barber shop on Main St. in 1960 and stayed there for 17 years. In those days the rent was a mere $70 per month. Due to the long-haired look among young people, most of his clients were senior citizens.
In the mid-1970s, Jim joined stylist Leonard Simon's business on Ridge Ave. He was with Jack Wheeler for a while and then opened his own shop up again in 1985 at 4215 Manayunk Ave.
His wife and his daughter, Kathy O'Connor Jackson, still run the business.
When Jim left in 1998, 75% of the business dropped. Jerry began cutting women's hair to help the business. Now she is doing fairly well. She would like to stay open longer during the day, but because of her commitment to her husband, she won't.
Clearly the couple, who live at Smick St. and Leverington Ave., are in this together, for the long haul.
Despite the suffering, Jerry stays upbeat. "I don't look at it being that tough because I have a lot of help," she said. Frustration and anger are two emotions that are always with her, though.
"Sometimes I ask, 'Why him?', said Terry." "We have had a really happy life together. Before this we would go out to dinner with friends and go to our mobile home at the shore. My mother always would tell me to save my money. Jim and I enjoyed ourselves and I don't regret it."
©The Review 2002
By: Rich Van Fossen Jr. December 11, 2002
While Jim O'Connor battles disease, spouse Jerry saves family business
Longtime local barber Jim O'Connor is fighting the battle of his life.
Jim was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, in 1996. His wife Jerry tells the Review that Jim sends his best to all of his friends and former customers.
"Jim is doing well," she said. "Some people are afraid to ask. It is hard for people who were close to Jim. He thinks of them all the time. I also read The Review to him, so he knows what's going on in the community."
Jim cannot speak anymore and is on a ventilator at all times. This keeps him alive. Jerry is by his side whenever she is not running Jim's old barber business on Manayunk Ave.
Jim O'Connor's battle began eight years ago, when he began to suffer from arthritis. Though he took medicine for that, ALS most likely developed between 1994 and 1996.
ALS is a motor neuron disease. Motor neuron diseases are progressive chronic diseases of the nerves that come from the spinal cord responsible for supplying electrical stimulation to the muscles. This stimulation is necessary for the movement of body parts.
Right after the diagnosis was the roughest time. Jim qualified for a Brain Derived Neuron Factor study at Hahnemann University Hospital. Although he was in the reputable study, the hospital could not pay for the medicine and equipment that Jim needed. At the time Jerry and Jim had no medical insurance.
"Our family and friends came in and really helped us," Jerry explains. "Our nieces and nephews had a benefit in 1998. There was also a golf outing and dinner dance at Keenan's. One benefit, at St. John's, hosted 554 people. We were overwhelmed with the generosity of people and we greatly appreciated it."
The Lions Club of Roxborough donated a van for Jim to be transported in. Jerry learned how to drive the van so that she could take him to his doctor's appointments. Now the O'Connors receive Social Security and Medicare benefits, so the financial pressure has been alleviated.
"Medicare has been wonderful," said Jerry.
In 1998, two years after Jim's diagnosis, the couple had a dilemma. Jim had to leave his barber shop business because he was too sick.
Without that income, how would the couple survive?
At the time Jerry was working at a delicatessen. Jim suggested that she take over the business.
Jerry's first reaction was that her husband was going crazy. She never cut hair in her life. But Jim did not want to close the shop, so after very little thought, Jerry decided to go for it.
She would go to school to learn to become a barber. Jim could also teach one student per year, based on a barber teacher's license Jerry logged in 1250 hours, worked with her husband, took the state boards and passed.
"I was in a trance," she explained. "I thought I was going to pass out when the first boy came in and wanted his head shaved. Jim's customers were very sweet. Though I was afraid to take too much hair off of heads, I soon got used to it."
Jim was thrilled.
She added, "I knew the business. I had worked for Pat Tancredi Wig Shop and Salon LC. I washed heads before," she said. "I have always loved the public."
Jack Wheeler and Len Simon (longtime local barbers) also offered help and kept in contact. Wheeler helped with benefits and the golf outing.
"I just went through the motions to get through school and to take care of Jim. He would say to me, 'You should have done this long ago. We could have done this business together,'" she said. "He would always tell me to hang in there."
Jim was in the Hahnemann University study for three years. During that time Jerry had to give him three needles a day. The researchers did not get the positive results that they were looking for.
Since then, Jim takes a drug called baclofen, mostly used for spinal cord injury patients. He has a companion who comes to his house Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to take care of him. Jerry is home everyday at 5 p.m. sharp to take over.
The disease does not effect his brain or heart, so Jim knows what is going on around him, even though he cannot communicate. Though he is burdened with a thrache and a feeding tube, he definitely wants to live.
He will be 62 years old on Dec. 24.
Jim, who grew up on Baldwin St., and Jerry, from Levering St., met during the golden age of the late 1950s in Roxborough.
Jerry frequented the popular Holy Family dances and Jim and his friends would spend their free time at North Light Boys Club. The couple dated for five years and were married in 1962.
Jim began his career working for Victory Metals, but according to Jerry, he always wanted to be a barber. He finished his studies at barber school in 1960.
Besides cutting hair, his great passion was playing the drums, which he did for many years. Throughout the 1960s and '70s, one could find him at the Erie Social Club, VFW posts, Audubon Inn, D'Angelo's, Scuttlebut, Austin's and Lombardi's, playing with a variety of bands.
He opened his first barber shop on Main St. in 1960 and stayed there for 17 years. In those days the rent was a mere $70 per month. Due to the long-haired look among young people, most of his clients were senior citizens.
In the mid-1970s, Jim joined stylist Leonard Simon's business on Ridge Ave. He was with Jack Wheeler for a while and then opened his own shop up again in 1985 at 4215 Manayunk Ave.
His wife and his daughter, Kathy O'Connor Jackson, still run the business.
When Jim left in 1998, 75% of the business dropped. Jerry began cutting women's hair to help the business. Now she is doing fairly well. She would like to stay open longer during the day, but because of her commitment to her husband, she won't.
Clearly the couple, who live at Smick St. and Leverington Ave., are in this together, for the long haul.
Despite the suffering, Jerry stays upbeat. "I don't look at it being that tough because I have a lot of help," she said. Frustration and anger are two emotions that are always with her, though.
"Sometimes I ask, 'Why him?', said Terry." "We have had a really happy life together. Before this we would go out to dinner with friends and go to our mobile home at the shore. My mother always would tell me to save my money. Jim and I enjoyed ourselves and I don't regret it."
©The Review 2002