22/01/2024
Hours after saying "I do," bride Amy Deike was rushed to the hospital. Her husband, Matthew, recognized that her slurred speech, face drooping and arm weakness were the signs of a stroke and called 911.
With therapy, Amy's cognition, speech and vision returned quickly, but she struggled to walk correctly and had trouble with balance. She kept pushing herself. "I'm a pretty optimistic person, and I'm very much a perfectionist,"she said. "That motivated me to get to where I needed to be."
Nine months after the stroke, Amy and Matthew got to take their honeymoon at a resort in Mexico. "Amy wanted to swim and play in the water, which felt like a milestone, Matthew said. "I just watched her and broke down crying. She'd come such a long way."
The stroke was in 2016. Now, Amy is almost fully recovered. She stays on top of her health by watching what she eats and being a regular at a barre fitness studio.
"I hope by sharing what happened to me, it will educate others about stroke, especially since they're rising in young people," she said. "It can happen to anyone at any time. Before mine, I had no idea."
Read Amy's Story From the Heart: http://spr.ly/6186RafYI
