This is Paige and her family one month before their world would be changed in both expected and unexpected ways.
On December 17, 2018, a young (33 year old) Mom and wife, named Paige, gave birth via repeat c section to a little girl. After delivery, Mom and Baby Daughter, happy and healthy, went home. When her daughter was six days old, Paige developed a headache that was intolerable and she felt something was “off”. She drove herself to the hospital so her kids wouldn’t be exposed to hospital germs. She had developed postpartum preeclampsia. Once they checked her blood pressure she, as a former nurse, realized what was happening.
The young mom and nurse informed the hospital staff she was having a stroke. She was told she was having a “panic attack”. Knowing what was happening, she quickly called and informed her family. 5 hours went by and by then she had completely lost her speech. Her husband, eager to be with her, came to the hospital with their children. On December 23, 2018 her 6 year old watched as a stroke alert was called and Paige was put in an induced coma having suffered a stroke.
After surgery to remove part of her skull, Paige spent two weeks at inpatient rehab, then started outpatient rehabilitation. She worked her way up from wheelchair to hemi-walker to quad cane to single point cane to only AFO (ankle-foot orthosis). She recently had calf surgery a few months ago which helped to give her more range of motion.
Paige has worked hard and has made great recovery strides! However, life after a stroke is never the same. She lost her job, they lost their house. They now live with family. Her arm moves at shoulder level. Her hand can squeeze somewhat. She just started to be able to move her ankle/foot some since her surgery. Unfortunately, insurance no longer covers ongoing rehabilitation. Paige also struggles still with making errors, cognitive fatigue and in keeping up with her kids; “It’s been a struggle to do my regular mom things, especially as my daughter is a baby and I have just one functional arm”.
She is dedicated and determined to further her recovery and reach her goal of walking unassisted, to go to law school, and keep up with her and care for her children. YESS Foundation is grateful to have met Paige and to come alongside her on her stroke recovery journey by helping to financially support her ongoing rehabilitation!!
YESS Foundation hopes that by sharing Paige’s story, and other stories of young stroke survivors, we can change the face of stroke and bring awareness to a growing population of young stroke survivors and their recovery needs!
YESS You Can!!