Miracles do happen.

"Where there is great love, there are always miracles."
- Willa Cather -

The Penney family has been overwhelmed by the level of support from their community, friends, and even strangers who have reached out to help them through this difficult time.

About $7,500 has been contributed by generous individuals and families who were moved by their story. Handwritten thank you letters are being mailed out to each of these people.

Just a short time ago he was lying in a coma given a 1% percent chance of survival. Nort is now able to walk and talk without assistance. He was even strong enough to attend Laguna Beach High School's first football game of the season on Sept. 11, to cheer on his son Norty on the gridiron.

Nort and coach Jonathan Todd walk out before the game.

He watched the Laguna Beach High School Breakers score five touchdowns in a loss to Corona del Mar, their cross-town rivals. The team dedicated the game to Nort and the mere mention of his name brought cheers from the hometown audience.

LBHS Varsity Football team dedicated the game to their teammate's dad.

His recovery has been nothing short of miraculous.

However, Nort is not yet out of the woods. On Sept. 23, he will return to Mission Hospital for open heart surgery to have both heart valves replaced. Any surgery of this type has high risks, but for Nort, recently having suffered a major stroke only adds extra cause for concern.

While the community support of the Penney family has been significant, their financial situation is still extremely fragile.

Please continue to forward this blog and spread the word about this family.

If many individuals give a little, we can make a difference. And when their circumstances become in tact again, we will all feel good knowing we were part of their success story. The Penneys continue to be touched by the outpouring of kindness from all around them.

Click below to donate by PayPal, or checks payable to Penney Family Fund can be mailed to 565 Center St., Laguna Beach, CA 92651.

We hope you’ll be inspired by a story of survival.

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."
~Harriet Beecher Stowe~

On July 23, 2009, Norton Penney Sr. of Laguna Beach, age 56, suffered a massive stroke while taking his ritual evening walk. Father of Holden, 17, and Norty Jr., 15, Nort has been a pillar of his beloved Laguna Beach, Calif., community for years, including LB Little League, AYSO coach and referee, and ‘grill master’ at LBHS football games.

Nort in his days coaching Holden's soccer team.

His passion had been watching Holden and Norty excel in soccer, track, and football. Holden is attending Centenary College on a soccer scholarship; she is also an outstanding track student athlete. Norty had a stellar first year in high school sports, earning MVP awards in football and track. Both of the kids are known for being hardworking, humble and kind people.

Post-game dad and daughter moments.

Norty Jr and mom Gay.

Immediately after Norton’s stroke his initial prognosis was very grave; in fact, one nurse deemed his progress as “minute by minute” and a doctor gave him a 1% chance of survival.

Nort days after the stroke.

The Penney family is no stranger to traumatic events. In 2004, Nort underwent open-heart surgery and has a mechanical heart valve. In 2007, Gay Penney was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After surgery, intensive chemotherapy, and a lot of prayer, today Gay is cancer-free. The experience motivated her to found Culinary Charities (www.culinaryolympics.org), charity-cooking events whose proceeds benefit children in need of significant medical attention.

Not only has the family been worried about Nort surviving, but also about long-term effects of the stroke. In addition, he will need his heart valve replaced in a matter of weeks. On August 10, the doctors brought Nort out of his coma, and to their amazement, they discovered no damage to his brain stem. After a few days, he began to move his feet and hands, open his eyes and even gave a thumbs up. He has even managed to say, “I’m ok.” The doctors have said he must have had a lot of people praying for him. Each day he has been slowly showing improvement -- each gesture he makes is a cause for celebration.

The point is, the Penneys continue to fight and move forward, no matter what life throws at them. We hope to help them in this tenacious journey. In the past couple of weeks, Gay was let go from her job due to her constant time spent at the hospital.

In short, the family needs help to manage the day-to-day expenses such as rent, groceries and utilities, but also the enormous medical bills that are amassing every day. Nort remains in Mission Hospital under the amazing care of doctors Michael Moran, Sylvain Palmer, Todd Lempert, Chen Nwagwu, and a battery of experts.

There is no question we are in difficult times and every household dollar is being stretched. We also remember the legacy Laguna has of supporting its neighbors in stressful times….never knowing when it might be your turn to be on the receiving end.

To that end, we’re looking for your support.

Even $5, $10, $25 could help this dear family continue to brave the storm with dignity, giving us all hope when times seem unbearable.

Click below to donate by credit card through PayPal or checks payable to the “Penney Family Fund” may be sent to 565 Center St., Laguna Beach, CA 92651.

Whether or not you choose to donate, please leave a guest comment to for the Penney family. Thank you in advance for your support.