Neuroplasticity in Action: Maggie's Story

Episode 45

Spinal Cord Stroke | Stronger After Stroke

In this episode of "Stronger After Stroke," Rosa Hart, BSN, R.N., SCRN, stroke nurse navigator for Norton Neuroscience Institute, sits down with Maggie Rasche, whose life changed in an instant at age 17 when a rare spinal cord stroke left her paralyzed during a typical school day. Maggie shares her remarkable story of survival, resilience and recovery. What began as mild tingling quickly became a medical emergency that led to 29 days in the intensive care unit (ICU), two life-threatening events and months of intensive rehabilitation.

Today, Maggie is living independently in college, driving, traveling and pursuing her dream of becoming a civil engineer.

This episode is a powerful reminder that stroke can happen at any age, that recovery is possible and that determination can overcome extraordinary challenges.

In this episode:

·      A rare spinal cord stroke in a healthy teenager

·      The warning signs that appeared that morning

·      Why fast action and emergency treatment mattered

·      Spending 29 days in the ICU and surviving two codes

·      Relearning how to breathe, speak, eat, sit up and walk

·      The emotional moment Maggie spoke for the first time after receiving a tracheostomy