Deb’s Stroke Timeline

I survived my second stroke, a TIA and spent 8 days in the hospital filled with endless tests. Yes, they literally took 19 vials of blood in ER when I arrived. The tests continued, but the root cause of the second stroke was never determined.

I explored acupuncture for my stroke rehab with needles in my hands and feet to help the healing process.

Getting dressed and ready was exhausting and thankfully Bob helped with my hair, false eyelashes and shoes… he was a champion!

We hired a caregiver to help Bob and I with everything around the house; scheduling therapies, doctor appointments, she helps me with home exercises and drives me everywhere. She is amazing!

Mentally, I needed to feel like I was getting back into the real world, and while sidewalks and curbs were tricky to navigate, Bob and my caregiver kept me safe.

Bob had a business trip to London, and I was determined to go with him.  Our caregiver came with us, and I took my wheelchair and walker.  My therapists helped me practice exercises to prepare me for getting out of cabs, getting on  escalators, and a lot of real-world travel tips that made it possible.

The buoyant water was a real benefit, as I was able to get my legs and arms moving against the water resistance — it built my confidence.

The pace of therapies, stretches and exercises increased — as well as my home program.

A fun Christmas at our home with my 92-year-old father-in-law, Dale, Bob’s brother Jeff and his wife Taylor.  We played games, had good food, and celebrated family time together.

The picture tells it all.  I had my third stroke and this one was in the retina of my eye. I blacked out, fell and hit my head resulting in a concussion and ended up in the hospital for eight days.  Thankfully, it appears no long term affects, hopefully.

Our first ever cruise, and Bob and I needed a vacation.  This was a great trip, and each day provided a new type of real-world therapy.  The vacation included cobblestone streets, stepping onto moving canal boats and lengthy museum walks as we traveled to the Baltic Sea with port visits every few days and three wonderful days of exploring St. Petersburg, Russia.

Relaxing and enjoying the Christmas Holiday and New Year at home was just what the doctor ordered.

Keeping balanced is the most important part of therapy for me.

My mission is to provide stroke survivors, family and friends with inspiration, technology reviews and insights they will find useful. I looked everywhere and could not find what I am creating with my husband, Bob.

The COVID-19 mandate to “shelter in place” created the opportunity for me to spend time exploring my favorite hobby, watching hummingbirds at our feeders.

We were featured in the San Jose Mercury News and Los Gatos Weekly Times as a Foundation with a clear purpose of helping others and great interest in Deb’s VR Therapy

Deb was invited to provide a one hour educational session for the Mission Oaks Stroke Center therapists on Champion the Challenges, all the online booklets, and tools available for their stroke patients—a huge success!

Helping the tone in my stroke affected hand.

Elizabeth Cook interviewed Deb to help inform and educate her followers on the impact of stroke. Highlighting the breakthrough innovations and technology that is available to stroke survivors so they can champion their rehabilitation. Watch the full Instagram Live interview

J.McLaughlin, Los Gatos, as they support Champion the Challenges

Bay area’s Fox 2 KTVU Andre Senior interviews Deb and Bob Shaw regarding the Champion The Challenges foundation and the annual event GOLF 4 LIFE at Los Lagos in San Jose.

Deb Shaw was sponsored by J McLaughlin in Carmel, Palo Alto and Los Gatos as she educated the local communities on B.E.F.A.S.T —A BIG Success.

Champion the Challenges, was awarded the 2023 Gold Medal for Website Publishing and a Silver Medal for a Nonfiction Book Series by the IPPY Awards, the country’s leading awards program for the recognition of independent publishers.