Stories - Champion the Challenges

Story

Good Samaritans Acted F.A.S.T.!

It was a normal Wednesday morning in December 2020. I went out for my usual morning run. About halfway through I suddenly felt the worst headache I had ever experienced. Next thing I knew, I collapsed to the ground along…

Andrew PoonDecember 3, 2021

Story

This Thing Called Aphasia

I had a stroke and aphasia on September 26, 2011. I was an associate dean at The Heller School at Brandeis University when I fell down on Main Street, Waltham, MA. I lost my language and could not read, write…

Tom BroussardOctober 25, 2021

Story

My Family, Therapists, Horses and Perseverance
Drove my Stroke Rehabilitation

While sitting down to watch a football game in December of 2019, my left hand unintentionally released a bottle of water twice, which was very strange, followed by a very severe headache on my right side. Then the left side…

Neil KehoeSeptember 8, 2021

Story

Double Brain Surgery after a
Hemorrhagic Stroke Due to Moyamoya Disease:
Orlena Fong Shek’s Stroke Story

This amazing story began at the end of 2011 when Orlena, only 33 at the time and a practicing lawyer, was driving on a California freeway with her 21month old also in the car. A massive hemorrhagic stroke caused her…

Champion the ChallengesJune 21, 2021

Story

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

The morning of November 9, 2016 started off fine. I was traveling for business, en route from New York to Boston to attend a dinner. But as I was driving a rental car to LaGuardia Airport, my speech stopped and…

Tom, a California Stroke SurvivorJune 20, 2021

Story

An Ischemic Stroke, and Aphasia,
brought me closer to being Brave and enjoying Music

The past 14 years have been constant work to overcome my Ischemic Stroke. I have made great progress; however, the challenges were not small. For example, I didn’t speak for two years, and was determined to beat my Aphasia. The…

JudyAnn EdwardsJune 17, 2021

Story

An 8th Grade History Teacher
wants to Grade Papers not Have a Stroke

It was an afternoon in October, 2015 and I was at home with my son, and I didn’t feel well. I was supposed to be getting ready to attend a birthday party, but I couldn’t. My headache was so painful…

Petra MoralesJune 10, 2021

Story

“My Passion of Being a Great Caregiver
Motivates Me Every Day”

My name is Juve Alcantara, family and close friends call me Jovy. I grew up in the Philippines and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Tourism. When I was young, my dream was to become a nurse. But since…

Juve AlcantaraJanuary 14, 2021

Story

“Hello hello… I’m at a place called Vertigo”

I woke up early on June 30, 2020 with a light headache and neck pain. I had been having headaches off and on for about a week, but it didn’t feel like anything concerning. I got ready for work and jumped…

Danny HalvorsonJanuary 14, 2021

Story

A Yoga Teacher and Fitness Advocate, Can Still Suffer a Stroke

As I woke up in the morning, I had a hard time moving my right side. Everything seemed a little fuzzy and I knew something was wrong. It was determined by the doctors that I had a stroke. But wait…

Gregory WongDecember 14, 2020

Stories of Stroke Rehabilitation — Reimagined