19

My name is Shannonree (Ree) Maher and two years ago my life changed forever. I was 17 years old and on the 10th of February in 2016 I suffered a stroke. The reason for this stroke is still unknown. I have had numerous tests and had been examined numerous times and still the cause for my stroke is unknown. I am in that unlucky 10% of children who never know why they suffered a stroke at such a young age.  I suffer with left sided weakness and severe nerve pain down my left arm, leg and left side

March

2018

14

My name is Joseph Borges and on August 4th 2016, at 39 years old, I suffered a high blood pressure-induced hemorrhagic stroke. My blood pressure was so high it caused a vessel in my brain to burst. I remember the exact moment I had the stroke. I was on my way to watch my girlfriend (the incredible singer/songwriter, Felice LaZae) perform like I have so many times before. I had a migraine leading up to the show. That wasn’t uncommon. I’ve suffered from terrible migraines most of my adult life.

March

2018

12

Think about how we approach eating. As a society we use food and drink as a way to come together with our families over dinner, celebrate special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries, and meet up with friends for drinks to catch up. In fact, the Stromies first connected over a coffee date. Eating and drinking isn’t just a part of survival, it brings people together. One aspect that is unfortunately -yet commonly- affected after a stroke is a person’s ability to swallow. Difficulty

March

2018

10

I am Ebony, a mother, an artist and a stroke survivor. I want to take a moment to tell you about my journey of recovery. First let me say, I was very ignorant to the knowledge of strokes and believed that only elderly people had them, ages 60 and up, boy was I wrong. Both my grandmothers on my mother and fathers side had strokes, one survived and one didn’t. Let’s start from the beginning. I woke up around 8:30am on that particular morning with a paralyzing, chronic migraine. The room was much

March

2018

05

One of the things I learned at the very beginning of my stroke journey was to focus on the positive. Or, the positives - because there are so many! I’m talking about the cheesy kind of positives that may make you roll your eyes. Eyes: imagine rejoicing in simply being able to open them. I have! Celebrate small victories.  I remember how excited I was when I took my first steps. Yes I was held up by a gait belt and two therapists, but I wasn’t confined to a hospital bed. I was free. It had been

March

2018