Malverne Trustee James Callahan hospitalized after stroke

Less than a week after he was sworn in as a Malverne Village trustee, James Callahan III suffered a stroke in his home.

The 42-year-old father of four, who has served Malverne as deputy mayor for the last four years and was sworn in to his trustee seat on March 4, was rushed to the hospital by the Malverne Volunteer Ambulance Corps around 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, after exhibiting signs of a stroke.

“There wasn’t any slurring,” Malverne Mayor Patricia McDonald told the Herald on Monday. “It was just that what he wanted to say was not coming out the [right] way — but it was clear. It was clear what he was saying, but what he wanted to say wasn’t coming out the way he wanted it to come out.”

Callahan, commissioner of the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management, underwent testing at Franklin Hospital and later at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Hospital, where it was determined that he had a stroke. By Monday, Callahan was doing better, according to McDonald.

“He’s a lot better than he was on Saturday night,” she said, adding that he had already begun to make progress on the night he suffered the stroke. “Saturday night, when I went in [to visit him at the hospital], he knew who I was and said my name.”

McDonald said Callahan would remain at the hospital for several days and undergo further testing, in part to determine what caused or triggered the stroke. He would likely need therapy, she said.

The Herald wishes Callahan a full recovery and all the best to his friends and family.