Tyler H’s Story

I am 24 years old. On September 9, 2021 I suffered a spinal stroke that impacted my C5 – T2 vertebrae. I was unable to move my right leg/foot, either of my hands, my right tricep was very weak, and I was placed on a catheter. Every possible test was run and they couldn’t find a cause for the stroke. Initially the doctors thought I had suffered a dissected vertebral artery, but later on other neurologists looked at my initial scans and didn’t see evidence of a dissection. The cause of the stroke is still unknown. I was completely healthy and worked out regularly.

Due to the SCI, my blood pressure was affected and I was prone to fainting. I was put on blood pressure medication which has seemed to help. I spent 2 weeks in the hospital and 3 weeks in inpatient rehab. I was able to get the catheter removed and started to walk again with help and using a rollator. Once I was discharged from inpatient rehab, I went to outpatient PT and OT where I worked on walking without help, strengthening my leg, adaptive alternatives to ADL’s, and fine motor skills. I have since completed my outpatient rehab and I am doing OT at Back To Independence Rehab in Charlotte every other week. I still do not have a ton of movement in my hands and my right arm is still very weak. I am also doing therapy on my own every day. I have also seen a surgeon about potentially doing a nerve or tendon transfer down the road. Right now I am focusing on recovering and getting back to my normal everyday activities.

This grant would take away the financial burden we are facing with therapy and hospital bills. It would also mean I could go to therapy more often and hopefully make more progress. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll need to go to therapy but I think every week for a few more months. I want to use all of the resources available to me before I hit the one year mark.