Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke

Today we meet Sue, whose left hand suddenly stopped working during a Zoom meeting. She couldn't type or navigate the buttons to leave the call. She made her way to the floor and curled up in the corner of her home office, terrified and waiting.

Sue doesn't remember the ambulance or much from her weeks in the hospital—just fragments of dreams and her kids holding her hand. When she finally returned home, the real journey began—discovering that her deepest purpose wasn't in her busy professional life, but in the weekly rhythm of planning family dinners, transforming what once felt mundane into her greatest source of gratitude and meaning. Sue shares ways she is inviting her true being and values to shine now, post-stroke.

Suggested Resources:

• Job Accommodation Network
• Love Your Brain
• National Ability Center

Community Conversation Prompt:

• Sue found joy in cooking again, just differently. What do you do differently now that still brings you joy?

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 Sue, whose left hand suddenly stopped working during a Zoom meeting. She couldn't type or navigate the buttons to leave the call. She made her way to the floor and curled up in the corner of her home office, terrified and waiting.

Sue doesn't remember the ambulance or much from her weeks in the hospital—just fragments of dreams and her kids holding her hand. When she finally returned home, the real journey began—discovering that her deepest purpose wasn't in her busy professional life, but in the weekly rhythm of planning family dinners, transforming what once felt mundane into her greatest source of gratitude and meaning. Sue shares ways she is inviting her true being and values to shine now, post-stroke.

Suggested Resources:

• Job Accommodation Network
• Love Your Brain
• National Ability Center

Community Conversation Prompt:

• Sue found joy in cooking again, just differently. What do you do differently now that still brings you joy?

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 share a Community Special focused on Gratitude.  This is a recording of our November Storyteller and Listener Gathering.  Our community of stroke and TBI survivors publicly share what we grateful for on this journey of recovery. From the therapists who believed in us, to the community that holds us when we stumble, to the unexpected wells of strength we've discovered within ourselves, our members share the mindsets, resources, and relationships that have carried them from those first days after stroke to where they are today. Whether it's finding purpose 20 years post-stroke, learning to let go and embrace new identities, or simply knowing we’re not alone on this roller coaster ride, these stories remind us that gratitude isn't just about what we've gained—it's about recognizing the connections that sustain us and the wisdom we're becoming. Let's dive in!

Community Conversation Prompt:

• When reflecting upon your recovery, for whom are you grateful?  Why?
• How could you show and/or tell them this week?

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 share a Community Special focused on Gratitude.  This is a recording of our November Storyteller and Listener Gathering.  Our community of stroke and TBI survivors publicly share what we grateful for on this journey of recovery. From the therapists who believed in us, to the community that holds us when we stumble, to the unexpected wells of strength we've discovered within ourselves, our members share the mindsets, resources, and relationships that have carried them from those first days after stroke to where they are today. Whether it's finding purpose 20 years post-stroke, learning to let go and embrace new identities, or simply knowing we’re not alone on this roller coaster ride, these stories remind us that gratitude isn't just about what we've gained—it's about recognizing the connections that sustain us and the wisdom we're becoming. Let's dive in!

Community Conversation Prompt:

• When reflecting upon your recovery, for whom are you grateful?  Why?
• How could you show and/or tell them this week?

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 a woman whose life was defined by constant motion—conference to conference, idea to idea, achievement to achievement. She traveled with a car full of plans and a calendar full of purpose, moving through her days on autopilot while her consciousness split between the present moment and endless to-do lists. But her body was already trying to tell her something. When her legs stopped working in her own driveway, everything she'd been running toward suddenly stopped. In the hospital, drifting between consciousness and somewhere far beyond, she experienced something unexpected—her wedding day replayed in slow motion, her first classroom vivid and full of color, moments she'd lived too fast now given back to her to truly see. And in a rehab hallway, shuffling sixty small steps in pink hospital socks while holding a walker like her life depended on it, she discovered what it means to stop making life happen and start participating in it with presence, trust, and faith.

Community Conversation Prompts:

• What does 'sleepwalking through life' mean to you?
• What helps you stay present and aware now?

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 a woman whose life was defined by constant motion—conference to conference, idea to idea, achievement to achievement. She traveled with a car full of plans and a calendar full of purpose, moving through her days on autopilot while her consciousness split between the present moment and endless to-do lists. But her body was already trying to tell her something. When her legs stopped working in her own driveway, everything she'd been running toward suddenly stopped. In the hospital, drifting between consciousness and somewhere far beyond, she experienced something unexpected—her wedding day replayed in slow motion, her first classroom vivid and full of color, moments she'd lived too fast now given back to her to truly see. And in a rehab hallway, shuffling sixty small steps in pink hospital socks while holding a walker like her life depended on it, she discovered what it means to stop making life happen and start participating in it with presence, trust, and faith.

Community Conversation Prompts:

• What does 'sleepwalking through life' mean to you?
• What helps you stay present and aware now?

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 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