In December, Mark Toothaker, an employee at Spendthrift Farm, enjoyed an ordinary evening at home in Lexington, Kentucky. He and his wife, Malory, were watching the New York Giants play the New England Patriots on "Monday Night Football." However, the night took an unexpected turn when Giants kicker Younghoe Koo missed a crucial field goal attempt, eliciting laughter from Toothaker that led to a seizure.
Toothaker described the experience, saying, "I've never felt anything like this in my life. I felt like I got electrocuted." Initially thinking her husband was joking, Malory, a nurse at a rehabilitation hospital, quickly realized the seriousness of the situation and called 911. Paramedics arrived and transported Toothaker to a local hospital, where a CT scan revealed a tennis-ball-sized tumor on the left side of his brain. Malory expressed the shock of hearing such news, noting, "When you hear the news, 'You’ve got a brain tumor,’ that’s what nobody wants to hear."
Toothaker was subsequently transferred to the University of Kentucky Hospital, where surgeons successfully removed the tumor, which turned out to be benign. Remarkably, he returned home within the week without any lasting damage. Toothaker planned to attend the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, where Spendthrift Farm-owned horse Further Ado was set to run.
Reflecting on his brush with health danger, Toothaker stated, "The kicker saved my life because it could’ve happened any other time." At 59 years old, Toothaker had no prior symptoms of the tumor, which had shifted his brain by 6 millimeters. In the months leading up to his seizure, he had traveled extensively for his job as a stallion sales manager, including a trip to Louisville the previous Saturday to watch Further Ado win the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes.
He remarked on the potential consequences if he had experienced the seizure while driving, saying, "I didn’t kill anybody. I didn’t run over a family in my Expedition running up and down the road." He recognized the severity of the situation, admitting that he would have struggled to live with himself had he harmed someone in an accident brought on by the seizure.
Toothaker's motivation to watch the game that fateful night was partly due to his friendship with Wen’Dale Robinson's father, Dale. Robinson, who went on to achieve significant success in the NFL, became the first player 5-foot-8 or shorter to surpass 1,000 yards receiving since 1989 and later signed a lucrative contract with the Tennessee Titans.
Toothaker expressed a desire to invite kicker Younghoe Koo to the Derby, acknowledging that Koo's missed kick is not a career highlight but recognizing its profound impact on his life. Despite Koo being released shortly after the game, Toothaker expressed his understanding of the kicker's unfortunate moment. "I know it wasn’t his best moment, but it was beyond crazy," he said, reflecting on how laughter turned into a life-changing event.
Malory Toothaker noted that her husband has returned to a sense of normalcy after the ordeal. "So many people aren’t that fortunate," she said. The couple feels grateful that the seizure occurred at home and not during a travel situation. She emphasized the importance of context, stating, "It was the best-case scenario." Together, they remain thankful for the unexpected turn of events that led to Toothaker's timely diagnosis and recovery.
