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Age: 61
Sex: Female
Race: African-American
Occupation: Retired; small business owner
History
- High blood pressure
- Lots of stress
Turning Point
In August 1995, Helen had a stroke. She was 49. At the time, she was the primary caretaker of her mother and owned her own business. She had just come home from closing her retail shop for the day when she began having a hard time walking. A friend noticed that she was slurring her words, but neither of them knew that she was suffering from a brain attack.
Instead of calling 911, Helen went to bed. It wasn’t until the next morning that she couldn’t get out of bed. Her mother’s nurse came to the house and immediately recognized she had a stroke. Her blood pressure was 200/190. The ambulance rushed her to the emergency room. Helen spent the next eight weeks in the hospital. Since she waited too long to get treatment, it nearly robbed her of the ability to walk and talk. She made a promise to herself that she would not give up.
Today
Helen has continued rehab since her stroke in 1995. She walks without a cane or wheelchair. She takes her medications every day. Her right side is still weak and sometimes she has problems finding her words but she is here, and still fighting. |
