Kristi O'Donnell

My name is Kristi O'Donnell. I am 32 years old and a married Mom of two young children and live in Michigan.

On 12/24/99 at age 30 our lives, especially mine changed forever. I had a massive brainstem locked in stroke.

I left me not only spechless but unable to move nothing more than my eyes. I wasn't expected to survive let alone how far I've come. It was said that a while ago that I would get no better from that and would require the kind of care that only a nursing home could give.

That was two years ago and not only am I NOT in a home but at home and still improving. I saw this as a challenge a long time ago and have maintained a postive attitude ever since. I keep going everyday, even though I went through a normal mourning period over my "old" life and had the same "why me?" feelings everyone gets. Except I quit feeling sorry for myself and started doing the needed things to recover. I know now that NO ONE else can do these things but me and it's working, slowly but working nonetheless.

You MUST keep your sense of faith and having my family being as supportive of me as they have been has really helped. I feel for anyone who must conquer this demon alone. I don't know myself if I could without giving up. This is a VERY hard process but can be done, you have to not quit quitting. I'm about 70% totally recovered and I'm by no means finished. Still have a long way to go in my journey but the hardest part is over...I survived.

I survived for a reason. The current views and education of the medical field need to change. For the better. Stroke is not just an older person's disease anymore, I think I'm living proof of that.This affliction is the #3 killer in the states, the #1 cause of adult disability and kills more women each year than breast cancer does.

Breast cancer is now being addressed and stroke should be too.

We live in the new millenium not the stone ages.

Sincerely,
K. O'Donnell