I had a monumental moment happened in my life that affected my mental health and changed my life forever! My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said “he had a stroke”. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok. Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. He was released from the hospital on my birthday and he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him not able to do ordinary things. My world was changed forever. The strongest man who has been a part of my life is now weak and vulnerable. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled, he had therapy at home a few times a week. He received occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and finally eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and I watched and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. Little by little he gained his strength and was able to take his first steps on his own! This was a miracle as the doctor said he would never walk unassisted again! There is something to say about the power of prayer and a person will to recover. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. I honestly don’t think my Pawpaw would have recovered as much as he did if I didn’t push him and give him the mental awareness that he could do it!! This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy and show others they can recover too!

I am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy.

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy.

I am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy.

I am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy.

I am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy.

I am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy.

I am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy.

I am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy.

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in my community pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I didn’t loose anyone physically, but I did loose the Pawpaw I once knew and depended on. I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I’m am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy and impacting my community!

I’m am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy and impacting my community!

I’m am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy.

am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy.

I am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy.

am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy.

I am a high school senior pursuing my college dream. I would like to attend a four year university and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. My grandfather suffered a stroke when I was 13 years old. This changed my life as he was a father figure in my life. I can remember my mom saying “Pawpaw was rushed to the hospital, I will call you as soon as I know something.” My world shifted. My Pawpaw seemed healthy and strong. He would always take me to football practice and I would help him around the yard and swimming pool. How could this be? My mom finally called and said he had a stroke. I wasn’t sure what that meant but surely he would be ok? Unfortunately the medical treatment did not stop the stroke and his brain went without oxygen for a long time. He was transported by helicopter to Baptist Hospital where he would stay for 5 weeks. When he was released from the hospital he could not talk or walk. It was so strange seeing him so weak and vulnerable. My world was changed forever. My mawmaw became his caregiver and her life would never be the same. Once he was settled he had therapy at home a few times a week. He had occupational, speech and physical therapy. I was fascinated by the physical therapy and how much it helped him! Slowly but surely he gained strength and a little more independence. He could walk with assistance and eat on his own. Unfortunately his speech never recovered. I looked forward when Karen, his physical therapist would come and watch and assisted as much as possible. I would help him practice his exercises and loved seeing his improvements. My Pawpaw responded well with my help. I’m sure he was trying not to hurt my feelings, but I feel sure my help pushed him in a different way. After about a year the therapy came to an end and he recovered as much as possible. He’s not where we wanted, but so much better than day one! This sparked a fire in me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about physical therapy. I took healthcare courses throughout high school. I interned with a local physical therapist in my hometown. This scholarship would help me financially pursue my dream of going to college and having a career in physical therapy.

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

I can still remember my 13-year-old self hearing the news that my pawpaw just had a massive stroke. How could this be? I just saw him the day before and he was fine. He was always the one picking me up or taking me to football practice because my mom always worked late. He was the one that I could count on. Now he is laying defenseless in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He was in ICU for two weeks and eventually was moved into a rehabilitation center near Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Luckily, 42 days later, he was able to come home from his rehabilitation center. He was paralyzed on the right side and lost his speech completely. It was so strange because he was the strongest man I knew, and now he couldn’t take care of himself. My mawmaw became his primary caregiver. I lived right down the street from their house, and luckily was able to help take care of him. I was able to be apart of his in-home therapy, including physical speech and occupational therapy. Each of his therapist would come by twice a week. His physical therapist was a lady named Karen. She was great and very patient with him. It took a solid year before he was able to take a step and walk with assistance, and his cane. We could not believe it because the doctors told us he would never walk again. But thankfully they were wrong! He definitely wasn’t walking normal, but he was able to walk with assistance and this gave us a hope for his future. This is when I fell in love with physical therapy. I participated with Karen learning how to stretch and the perform daily exercises for him to regain mobility and retrain his brain for muscle movement. It’s now been almost 5 years since his stroke and he’s not where we would like him to be but he’s so much better! I now have just completed my capstone project on physical therapy and have interned at a physical therapist office for the last two months. My goal is to attend a four-year university in North Carolina and then pursue physical therapy school. I have witnessed how physical therapy can make a difference in someone’s life. My Pawpaw has more mobility and a better quality of life and I can’t wait to help others in the future pursuing physical therapy as my occupation!

Better primary healthcare systems will help us protect against future pandemics. Making sure that vaccines reach the most vulnerable in the communities and protecting our healthcare workers must on the top of the priority list! These means providing them with the necessary training, making sure they’re first in line for vaccines so they’re protected, and financially and emotionally supporting them with programming, resources and therapy. It’s important to have effective testing and reporting mechanisms in place to monitor all the clusters and variants of Covid 19. Effective measures can be quickly put in place to help limit virus transmission and contain the virus. Building trust with Health Services and Community Health and making sure the guidance from these is evidence-based and respected, we can help prevent future pandemics. Through commitment and trust primary healthcare at both a national and community level, we can build stronger health systems that are equipped for any epidemic or pandemic.