Tell him the truth, stroke rehab is a shitshow. No one knows anything concrete about getting to 100% recovery. He was lucky and is a complete outlier.
Vancouver podcaster wants to hear stories from Northern B.C. stroke survivors
The host of the Young Stroke Survivors podcast wants to hear the stories of survivors, caregivers and service providers in Northern B.C.
Perry Cook, 55, a former Prince George resident, now residing in Vancouver, had his life change when he suffered a massive stroke in 2019 that left the whole right side of his body paralyzed.
Cook spent three weeks in a California hospital before being transferred to the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver. There, he spent three months re-learning basic tasks, such as walking and talking.
After continually pushing himself, Cook got back into something he loved prior to his stroke, running. Four months after his stroke, he slowly started getting back into old form by completing a 10-metre run. Near the one-year anniversary of his stroke, he completed his first 10 kilometres and is now running that distance every two days.
During his recovery efforts, Cook joined the counsellor-facilitated Young Stroke Survivors virtual group, a stroke support group that meets twice a month.
The former College of New Caledonia instructor and businessman says his experiences and love for talking with people drove his decision to put his name in the hat to host the podcast.
“I was the only stroke survivor who applied. Everybody else was a non-stroke survivor. It only pays a hundred bucks a month, but I didn’t want it for the money I wanted to give back,” said Cook.
Being a former resident of Northern B.C., he says he wants to make sure that the podcast has representation from the region he used to call home.
As of February 25th, the Young Stroke Survivors podcast has nine episodes ranging from 30 minutes to an hour in length. The episodes center around stroke survivors, but topics vary, touching on raising a family, intimacy, and overall life after a stroke.
Anyone looking to share their story with Cook can contact him by phone at 250-960-0091 or email paracook@shaw.ca.
The podcast is supported by the Stroke Recovery Association, Disability Alliance BC and the BC March of Dimes.
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