I started running in my late thirties in hopes of shredding some unwanted weight.  Over the next couple of years, my passion for
running grew and soon I was running daily; addicted to the “runners high”.  All of my goals and dreams were running accomplishments; it was where I drew my self-worth from and I couldn’t imagine life without it.

            On a hot summer day in June of 2013, I went for an easy run with my son.  A mile into the run I felt dizzy and end up collapsing.  Within moments, I realized that I couldn’t move and in an overall fog of confusion. My son dragged me home and we end up going to a local hospital.  They determined that I had a stroke and put me on a life flight helicopter to go to Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia to be admitted to their stroke center.  Waking up the next day in that hospital bed was one of the hardest times of my life.  My entire right-side was paralyzed making even the most basic tasks nearly impossible.  I was crushed; staring down a life stuck in a wheelchair.  All of my dreams were instantly shattered as I struggled to move and function normally.  

     I was eventually sent to Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation hospital where I stayed for the next several weeks.  The recovery was much faster than expected and I was getting better every day.  Standing became walking, walking turned into shuffling, and before long I began to dream about running again.  Weeks turned into months and I fell more times that I can count but it was all worth it.  By end of the year, I ran the best marathon of my life!  It was an hour slower than my previous marathon and I sort of looked like a zombie while running it but I couldn't have been prouder of this accomplishment. 

    I have recovered significantly better than most due to my young age and prior health.  However, most people who have a stroke end up living my worse nightmare of restricted movement and wheel chairs.  My uncle, Russ VanWassehnova, also had stroke and remains unable to walk.  We all pray for him and hopes that he may recover some more, but it is hard.  Please help me raise funds for the stroke association by giving funds.  Shown below is some details about the impact of your gifts.

      The Stroke Association are the UK's leading stroke charity, delivering amazing, life-changing support to over 70,000 stroke survivors and their families each year.  Without people raising funds for the Stroke Association they could not provide the support and research that they do. Your donations are so important to rebuilding lives after stroke.  Where your support goes:- £80 could allow a a stroke survivor to attend a six week communication computer course- £199 could pay for one hour of Helpline activity- £310 could pay for the initial training and expenses of a befriending volunteer- £1,685 could pay for a fitness coach to provide stroke specific exercise rehabilitation- £40,000 funds a Lectureship Award for stroke doctor, nurse, therapist or scientist for a year- £450,000 fully funds a Priority Programme Award in haemorrhagic stroke, vascular dementia and stroke, or the psychological and cognitive impact of stroke, which would run over the course of 5 years