In this powerful and inspiring bonus episode, we delve into the remarkable journey of Shruti Kothari, a 34-year-old actress and stroke survivor.

On March 7, 2020, just before the pandemic shook the world, Shruti experienced a stroke while hosting friends at her apartment. Her left side went numb, and thanks to a quick-thinking friend trained in recognizing stroke symptoms, paramedics were called immediately.

Shruti’s story is not just one of survival but thriving against all odds. She talks about her rehabilitation process, an innovative program that helped her regain movement in her arm, and her determination to continue her acting career. Despite the challenges, Shruti’s optimism and drive to give back to the community shine through.

Additional Resources
UHN's Stroke Prevention Clinic
Dr. Pikula was interviewed in the Your Complex Brain episode "The Rise of Stroke in Young Adults"
UHN Foundation video "Shruti's journey back to the stage, with some help from Team UHN"
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada – Women's Digital Hub
World Stroke Academy podcast featuring Dr. Lindsay

The Your Complex Brain production team is Heather Sherman, Jessica Schmidt, Dr. Amy Ma, Kim Perry, Alley Wilson, Sara Yuan, Meagan Anderi, Liz Chapman, and Lorna Gilfedder.

The Krembil Brain Institute, part of University Health Network, in Toronto, is home to one of the world's largest and most comprehensive teams of physicians and scientists uniquely working hand-in-hand to prevent and confront problems of the brain and spine, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, epilepsy, stroke, spinal cord injury, chronic pain, brain cancer or concussion, in their lifetime. Through state-of-the-art patient care and advanced research, we are working relentlessly toward finding new treatments and cures.

Do you want to know more about the Krembil Brain Institute at UHN? Visit us at: uhn.ca/krembil

To get in touch, email us at [email protected] or message us on social media:
Instagram - @krembilresearch
Twitter - @KBI_UHN
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KrembilBrainInstitute

Thanks for listening!