In late summer 2023, after dropping my twin girls off from their last day at the Beehive preschool, I suffered a stroke alone on my patio. My phone died before I could call 911 and I spent the night outside, unable to move, looking up at the glow from my daughters’ bedroom night light and choosing to keep fighting.

The next morning, my Aunt Liz, a nurse, found me and quickly recognized the signs of a stroke. I was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed a thrombectomy to remove a clot from my brain. I later underwent a craniotomy to relieve dangerous brain swelling and spent two weeks in the ICU, including my 35th birthday. Recovery has been long and difficult.

I spent 10 weeks at Craig Hospital relearning how to swallow, speak, walk, and use the right side of my body. My right arm remained paralyzed for years, until advanced therapy programs at Johns Hopkins and later in Madrid helped me regain movement and strength.

My stroke was caused by a carotid web, and I have since received a stent and been cleared of clotting disorders.Through every step, I have been carried by my daughters, family, friends, medical teams, and the memory of my Grandma Bea. This journey has taught me the power of persistence, community, and access to innovative stroke recovery care.