Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke

"I always knew I was put in this world to help others." Pina knew this as an office manager, a caregiver, a grandmother. A stroke taught her what it really means. Pina's story is about trying — one step, one word, one breath at a time — and the family, faith, and fellow survivors who made that possible. Now Pina is the one sitting with others when the words won't come, saying w...

"I always knew I was put in this world to help others." Pina knew this as an office manager, a caregiver, a grandmother. A stroke taught her what it really means. Pina's story is about trying — one step, one word, one breath at a time — and the family, faith, and fellow survivors who made that possible. Now Pina is the one sitting with others when the words won't come, saying w...

Mariella's stroke taught her that the little moments are the big moments. From standing up in a rehab hallway to finding her people in a water cup relay, Mariella shows us what it looks like to trust the process even when progress isn't always visible. Her story is about consistency, community, and discovering you're more resilient than you ever knew. Community Conversation Prompt M...

Mariella's stroke taught her that the little moments are the big moments. From standing up in a rehab hallway to finding her people in a water cup relay, Mariella shows us what it looks like to trust the process even when progress isn't always visible. Her story is about consistency, community, and discovering you're more resilient than you ever knew. Community Conversation Prompt M...

"When we let each other in, we help each other." Gary knew this as a runner and a coach. A stroke in 2020 taught him what it really means. Gary's story is about connection — neighbors, coaches, roommates, therapists, and fellow survivors who showed up. Now Gary is the one showing up for others, sitting with fellow stroke survivors, and passing on exactly what was given to him.  Comm...

"When we let each other in, we help each other." Gary knew this as a runner and a coach. A stroke in 2020 taught him what it really means. Gary's story is about connection — neighbors, coaches, roommates, therapists, and fellow survivors who showed up. Now Gary is the one showing up for others, sitting with fellow stroke survivors, and passing on exactly what was given to him.  Comm...

Faith says her body is like a baby. It needs repetition, patience, and consistency to learn something new. Try. Try again. Try again. She's now washing dishes, folding laundry, walking her neighborhood for an hour at a time — and she's walking fast. In this episode, Faith traces her journey from the ICU to the familiar halls of the rehabilitation center where she once worked as a nurse,...

Faith says her body is like a baby. It needs repetition, patience, and consistency to learn something new. Try. Try again. Try again. She's now washing dishes, folding laundry, walking her neighborhood for an hour at a time — and she's walking fast. In this episode, Faith traces her journey from the ICU to the familiar halls of the rehabilitation center where she once worked as a nurse,...

Today we meet Denise Lowell.  Denise shares her journey from confusion, depression, and isolation after her stroke to discovering purpose and creating community. After losing her ability to read, write, and speak clearly due to aphasia, Denise transformed her struggle into action—creating a thriving aphasia support community in Rhode Island that has grown from a single conference to an organizatio...

Today we meet Denise Lowell.  Denise shares her journey from confusion, depression, and isolation after her stroke to discovering purpose and creating community. After losing her ability to read, write, and speak clearly due to aphasia, Denise transformed her struggle into action—creating a thriving aphasia support community in Rhode Island that has grown from a single conference to an organizatio...

Join us for a reflective two-part compilation featuring the collective wisdom of twenty-eight of our 2025 storytellers. Stroke survivors share profound insights on discovering purpose, reclaiming voice, and finding hope through adversity. Hear stories of resilience, acceptance, and the transformative power of community as survivors navigate their recovery journeys. From learning to breathe again t...

Join us for a reflective two-part compilation featuring the collective wisdom of twenty-eight of our 2025 storytellers. Stroke survivors share profound insights on discovering purpose, reclaiming voice, and finding hope through adversity. Hear stories of resilience, acceptance, and the transformative power of community as survivors navigate their recovery journeys. From learning to breathe again t...

Today we meet Sue, whose left hand suddenly stopped working during a Zoom meeting. She couldn't type or navigate the buttons to leave the call. She made her way to the floor and curled up in the corner of her home office, terrified and waiting. Sue doesn't remember the ambulance or much from her weeks in the hospital—just fragments of dreams and her kids holding her hand. When she finall...

Today we meet Sue, whose left hand suddenly stopped working during a Zoom meeting. She couldn't type or navigate the buttons to leave the call. She made her way to the floor and curled up in the corner of her home office, terrified and waiting. Sue doesn't remember the ambulance or much from her weeks in the hospital—just fragments of dreams and her kids holding her hand. When she finall...

Today on Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke we share a Community Special focused on Gratitude.  This is a recording of our November Storyteller and Listener Gathering.  Our community of stroke and TBI survivors publicly share what we grateful for on this journey of recovery. From the therapists who believed in us, to the community that holds us when we stumble, to the unexpected wells of stren...

Today on Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke we share a Community Special focused on Gratitude.  This is a recording of our November Storyteller and Listener Gathering.  Our community of stroke and TBI survivors publicly share what we grateful for on this journey of recovery. From the therapists who believed in us, to the community that holds us when we stumble, to the unexpected wells of stren...

Today we meet a woman whose life was defined by constant motion—conference to conference, idea to idea, achievement to achievement. She traveled with a car full of plans and a calendar full of purpose, moving through her days on autopilot while her consciousness split between the present moment and endless to-do lists. But her body was already trying to tell her something. When her legs stopped wo...

Today we meet a woman whose life was defined by constant motion—conference to conference, idea to idea, achievement to achievement. She traveled with a car full of plans and a calendar full of purpose, moving through her days on autopilot while her consciousness split between the present moment and endless to-do lists. But her body was already trying to tell her something. When her legs stopped wo...

Welcome to Voices of Resilience: A Beyond Stillness Program where our storytellers speak directly to those beginning their recovery journey. What follows is a message from one stroke survivor to another, born from experience, compassion, and hope. After her stroke left her paralyzed on her right side and unable to talk, sing, or walk, Angel James found strength in her daily prayer—"God, make...

Welcome to Voices of Resilience: A Beyond Stillness Program where our storytellers speak directly to those beginning their recovery journey. What follows is a message from one stroke survivor to another, born from experience, compassion, and hope. Instead of offering unsolicited advice to stroke survivors in their first year of recovery, Michelle chooses to listen and invites questions, recognizin...

Welcome to Voices of Resilience: A Beyond Stillness Program where our storytellers speak directly to those beginning their recovery journey. What follows is a message from one stroke survivor to another, born from experience, compassion, and hope. After waking from a five-day coma in 1990 with right-sided paralysis and aphasia, Sue Aigner Phipps found her way forward through the unwavering support...

Welcome to Voices of Resilience: A Beyond Stillness Program where our storytellers speak directly to those beginning their recovery journey. What follows is a message from one stroke survivor to another, born from experience, compassion, and hope. After a stroke caused by vertebral artery dissection left him unable to move anything below his neck, Eric Anderson found hope in the smallest victory—l...

Today we meet Kelly, an Ashtanga yoga student and teacher trained in the practice of holding each posture—observing her thoughts and feelings and learning to simply be present without reaction. Six years ago, Kelly woke up with a strange feeling in her chest. Emergency open heart surgery led to spinal and brain strokes that left her unable to move from the waist down. In the rehab mirror, she saw...

Today we meet Kelly, an Ashtanga yoga student and teacher trained in the practice of holding each posture—observing her thoughts and feelings and learning to simply be present without reaction. Six years ago, Kelly woke up with a strange feeling in her chest. Emergency open heart surgery led to spinal and brain strokes that left her unable to move from the waist down. In the rehab mirror, she saw...

Today we meet Mary, a teacher who knew her calling from childhood—organizing cousins into line while playing school in Lynn, Massachusetts. For twenty-four years, Mary taught with passion until a stroke on January 28th, 2010 changed everything. She couldn't speak at all for three months—only shake her head yes or no. Her first word came spontaneously: "Tailgate!" Mary returned to te...