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 me over again"—and in her husband's unwavering commitment to care for her no matter what. She offers fellow survivors a message of hope: find your value within yourself, conquer your fears one by one, and keep pressing forward toward your goals, because this is your new normal and God's not finished with you yet.

For more about Angel, listen to Reclaiming My Voice - Angel James’ Story and Interview

Support a Stroke Survivor:

Your gift sponsors a stroke survivor through our seven-week reflective story crafting journey.
👉 Donate at beyondstillness.org

Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke is a nonprofit that empowers stroke survivors to articulate and publicly share their stories of wisdom, purpose, connection, and hope.

Follow us: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · beyondstillness.org

#BeyondStillness #StrokeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor #StrokeStories #StrokeAwareness #Storytelling #StrokeSupport #Recovery #Resilience #Hope #Transformation #LifeAfterStroke #Inspiration #NarrativeIdentity #StorytellingHeals #RewritingMyStory #IdentityAfterStroke #PostTraumaticGrowth

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 of family and friends who refused to let her give up—including one friend who simply asked her to take a shower, and another who drove her to Bible study every week. More than three decades later, even after a recent mini seizure, Sue's message to survivors is rooted in her own experience: "I've done this before, I know I can do it again"—and so can you.

For more about Sue, listen to Positive Resilience and Seizures - Sue Phipps Story and Interview

Support a Stroke Survivor:

Your gift sponsors a stroke survivor through our seven-week reflective story crafting journey.
👉 Donate at beyondstillness.org

Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke is a nonprofit that empowers stroke survivors to articulate and publicly share their stories of wisdom, purpose, connection, and hope.

Follow us: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · beyondstillness.org

#BeyondStillness #StrokeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor #StrokeStories #StrokeAwareness #Storytelling #StrokeSupport #Recovery #Resilience #Hope #Transformation #LifeAfterStroke #Inspiration #NarrativeIdentity #StorytellingHeals #RewritingMyStory #IdentityAfterStroke #PostTraumaticGrowth

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, recognizing that each person's journey is unique and their energy is precious. Drawing from her own experience with a bilateral pons stroke in 2013, she offers herself as part of listeners' "A-team"—those trusted people worth conserving your limited energy for—and opens her inbox to anyone who needs support.

For more about Michelle, listen to “From ‘I Have to’ to ‘I Get To’ Michelle Humphrey’s Story and Interview

Michelle's Email: [email protected] 

Support a Stroke Survivor:

Your gift sponsors a stroke survivor through our seven-week reflective story crafting journey.
👉 Donate at beyondstillness.org

Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke is a nonprofit that empowers stroke survivors to articulate and publicly share their stories of wisdom, purpose, connection, and hope.

Follow us: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · beyondstillness.org

#BeyondStillness #StrokeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor #StrokeStories #StrokeAwareness #Storytelling #StrokeSupport #Recovery #Resilience #Hope #Transformation #LifeAfterStroke #Inspiration #NarrativeIdentity #StorytellingHeals #RewritingMyStory #IdentityAfterStroke #PostTraumaticGrowth

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—leaning forward two inches in his wheelchair—and built his recovery on celebrating every incremental gain. Eight years later, he shares the wisdom that carried him through: breathe deeply, practice gratitude, remember how far you've come, and focus on what you can do today, not what you can't do yet.

For more about Eric, listen to The Power to Choose - Eric Anderson’s Story and Interview

Support a Stroke Survivor:

Your gift sponsors a stroke survivor through our seven-week reflective story crafting journey.
👉 Donate at beyondstillness.org

Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke is a nonprofit that empowers stroke survivors to articulate and publicly share their stories of wisdom, purpose, connection, and hope.

Follow us: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · beyondstillness.org

#BeyondStillness #StrokeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor #StrokeStories #StrokeAwareness #Storytelling #StrokeSupport #Recovery #Resilience #Hope #Transformation #LifeAfterStroke #Inspiration #NarrativeIdentity #StorytellingHeals #RewritingMyStory #IdentityAfterStroke #PostTraumaticGrowth

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 the details: messy hair, chest glue, swollen feet in white Adidas. And she realized she was doing exactly what her yoga teacher had taught her—not reacting, just being there, in her posture, noticing. Through months of rehab, relearning how to move, how to walk, how to live, Kelly found that the practice she'd taught for years was now teaching her—one moment, one movement at a time.

Community Conversation Prompt:

• The head of recovery told Kelly, "I believe this is where your yoga comes in." What practice or skill from your past helps you now?

Mentioned Resource:

• Insight Timer Free Meditation App

Support a Stroke Survivor:

Your gift sponsors a stroke survivor through our seven-week reflective story crafting journey.
👉 Donate at beyondstillness.org

Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke is a nonprofit that empowers stroke survivors to articulate and publicly share their stories of wisdom, purpose, connection, and hope.

Follow us: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · beyondstillness.org

#BeyondStillness #StrokeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor #StrokeStories #StrokeAwareness #Storytelling #StrokeSupport #Recovery #Resilience #Hope #Transformation #LifeAfterStroke #Inspiration #NarrativeIdentity #StorytellingHeals #RewritingMyStory #IdentityAfterStroke #PostTraumaticGrowth

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 the details: messy hair, chest glue, swollen feet in white Adidas. And she realized she was doing exactly what her yoga teacher had taught her—not reacting, just being there, in her posture, noticing. Through months of rehab, relearning how to move, how to walk, how to live, Kelly found that the practice she'd taught for years was now teaching her—one moment, one movement at a time.

Community Conversation Prompt:

• The head of recovery told Kelly, "I believe this is where your yoga comes in." What practice or skill from your past helps you now?

Mentioned Resource:

• Insight Timer Free Meditation App

Support a Stroke Survivor:

Your gift sponsors a stroke survivor through our seven-week reflective story crafting journey.
👉 Donate at beyondstillness.org

Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke is a nonprofit that empowers stroke survivors to articulate and publicly share their stories of wisdom, purpose, connection, and hope.

Follow us: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · beyondstillness.org

#BeyondStillness #StrokeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor #StrokeStories #StrokeAwareness #Storytelling #StrokeSupport #Recovery #Resilience #Hope #Transformation #LifeAfterStroke #Inspiration #NarrativeIdentity #StorytellingHeals #RewritingMyStory #IdentityAfterStroke #PostTraumaticGrowth

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 teaching by applying her own lessons: practice, patience, and "wait time." Now she brings those same tools to the aphasia community, showing that the wisdom we gain as teachers can guide us as students of life.

Community Conversation Prompt:

• What do you hope others will learn from the way you live your life?

Mentioned Resources:

Aphasia Resource Center at Boston University 

BU's Living with Aphasia Documentary Series

Constant Therapy

Just ASK (Aphasia Stroke Knowledge)

Living with Aphasia Project

Mass General Hospital Comprehensive Stroke Center

National Aphasia Association

National Aphasia Synergy

Sherrill House

Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

Trish Hambridge’s Episodes 

Support a Stroke Survivor:

Your gift sponsors a stroke survivor through our seven-week reflective story crafting journey.
👉 Donate at beyondstillness.org

Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke is a nonprofit that empowers stroke survivors to articulate and publicly share their stories of wisdom, purpose, connection, and hope.

Follow us: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · beyondstillness.org

#BeyondStillness #StrokeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor #StrokeStories #StrokeAwareness #Storytelling #StrokeSupport #Recovery #Resilience #Hope #Transformation #LifeAfterStroke #Inspiration #NarrativeIdentity #StorytellingHeals #RewritingMyStory #IdentityAfterStroke #PostTraumaticGrowth

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 teaching by applying her own lessons: practice, patience, and "wait time." Now she brings those same tools to the aphasia community, showing that the wisdom we gain as teachers can guide us as students of life.

Community Conversation Prompt:

• What do you hope others will learn from the way you live your life?

Mentioned Resources:

Aphasia Resource Center at Boston University 

BU's Living with Aphasia Documentary Series

Constant Therapy

Just ASK (Aphasia Stroke Knowledge)

Living with Aphasia Project

Mass General Hospital Comprehensive Stroke Center

National Aphasia Association

National Aphasia Synergy

Sherrill House

Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

Trish Hambridge’s Episodes 

Support a Stroke Survivor:

Your gift sponsors a stroke survivor through our seven-week reflective story crafting journey.
👉 Donate at beyondstillness.org

Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke is a nonprofit that empowers stroke survivors to articulate and publicly share their stories of wisdom, purpose, connection, and hope.

Follow us: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · beyondstillness.org

#BeyondStillness #StrokeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor #StrokeStories #StrokeAwareness #Storytelling #StrokeSupport #Recovery #Resilience #Hope #Transformation #LifeAfterStroke #Inspiration #NarrativeIdentity #StorytellingHeals #RewritingMyStory #IdentityAfterStroke #PostTraumaticGrowth

Today on Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke we're offering another Community Special featuring the Overlake Aphasia Communication & Support Group at Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, Washington led by Emily Wimberly. This dedicated group meets monthly, creating a space where members connect, practice communication skills, and discover new ways to cope and thrive with aphasia.  Join us as group members share the insights they've gained while navigating life with aphasia and the meaningful connections they've built along the way.

Community Conversation Prompt:

• What helps you feel heard and understood?

Mentioned Resources:

• Overtake Communication & Support Group
• My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, P.h.D 
• National Aphasia Synergy
• Sue Phipps' Stories and Interviews

Support a Stroke Survivor:

Your gift sponsors a stroke survivor through our seven-week reflective story crafting journey.
👉 Donate at beyondstillness.org

Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke is a nonprofit that empowers stroke survivors to articulate and publicly share their stories of wisdom, purpose, connection, and hope.

Follow us: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · beyondstillness.org

#BeyondStillness #StrokeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor #StrokeStories #StrokeAwareness #Storytelling #StrokeSupport #Recovery #Resilience #Hope #Transformation #LifeAfterStroke #Inspiration #NarrativeIdentity #StorytellingHeals #RewritingMyStory #IdentityAfterStroke #PostTraumaticGrowth

Today on Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke we're offering another Community Special featuring the Overlake Aphasia Communication & Support Group at Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, Washington led by Emily Wimberly. This dedicated group meets monthly, creating a space where members connect, practice communication skills, and discover new ways to cope and thrive with aphasia.  Join us as group members share the insights they've gained while navigating life with aphasia and the meaningful connections they've built along the way.

Community Conversation Prompt:

• What helps you feel heard and understood?

Mentioned Resources:

• Overtake Communication & Support Group
• My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, P.h.D 
• National Aphasia Synergy
• Sue Phipps' Stories and Interviews

Support a Stroke Survivor:

Your gift sponsors a stroke survivor through our seven-week reflective story crafting journey.
👉 Donate at beyondstillness.org

Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke is a nonprofit that empowers stroke survivors to articulate and publicly share their stories of wisdom, purpose, connection, and hope.

Follow us: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · beyondstillness.org

#BeyondStillness #StrokeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor #StrokeStories #StrokeAwareness #Storytelling #StrokeSupport #Recovery #Resilience #Hope #Transformation #LifeAfterStroke #Inspiration #NarrativeIdentity #StorytellingHeals #RewritingMyStory #IdentityAfterStroke #PostTraumaticGrowth