This just proves the COMPLETE FUCKING FAILURE OF THE STROKE WORLD! 100% recovery should be normal and mapped out WITH EXACT PROTOCOLS! Not having those protocols means the ASA is a COMPLETE FUCKING FAILURE!
Send me personal hate mail on this: oc1dean@gmail.com. I'll print your complete statement with your name and title(If you can't stand by your name don't bother replying anonymously) and my response in my blog. Or are you afraid to engage with my stroke-addled mind? No excuses are allowed! You're medically trained; it should be simple to precisely state EXACTLY WHERE I'M WRONG. I want to hear your excuses for failure(not getting to 100% recovery IS FAILURE!) so I can demolish them! You aren't solving to 100% recovery protocols with NO EXCUSES! I've never received any communications from any stroke association. You'd think they would want to talk to their fiercest critic, but no, they are hiding under a rock someplace, probably don't even know I exist! Swearing at me is allowed, I'll return the favor. Don't even attempt to use the excuse that brain research is hard.
I'm looking directly at you; Nancy Brown; care to reply? The AHA/ASA chief executive officer is Nancy Brown
Retired executive shares powerful stroke survival story for American Stroke Month
ROGERS, Ark., May 4, 2026 —When 59‑year‑old Rogers resident Earvin Young woke up on Jan. 2, 2025, he had no idea his life would change within hours. An avid cyclist, corporate executive and father of four, Young describes himself as healthy, active and “the last person who thought a stroke could happen to me.”
But that morning, when his son came home from his night shift to check on him, he found his father on the bathroom floor, unable to feel his legs or stand.
Young had suffered the first of what would be two strokes within ten days.
As the American Stroke Association recognizes American Stroke Month in May, Young is sharing his experience to urge Northwest Arkansans to learn and recognize the B.E. F.A.S.T. warning signs of stroke, when every minute can mean the difference between recovery and lifelong disability.
Before his stroke, Young rode 40–50 miles every weekend, spent 35 years building a career in human resources and was deeply involved in community volunteer work. He said nothing in his life suggested he was at risk.
“I knew what a stroke was, but like most people, I thought it would never happen to me,” Young said.
In the early morning hours after his first stroke, he was transported from hospital to hospital as medical teams searched for answers. Ten days later, while undergoing rehabilitation, Young suffered a second, more severe stroke, one that left him unable to speak or move.
Doctors warned his wife, Rosalind, that his chances of survival were uncertain.
What Young remembers from that experience is not fear, but frustration.
“I could hear everything,” he said. “I just couldn’t move or respond. People were talking around me, deciding things about me. I kept thinking, talk to me like I’m still here.”
That moment became part of Young’s new mission: advocating for stroke awareness, survivor dignity and better communication between patients and care teams.
He spent nearly three months in three different hospitals and rehab facilities, working to regain his ability to walk, speak and manage daily life. Today, he continues therapy for challenges with balance, hand mobility and vocal fatigue, all lingering effects of his strokes.
But his outlook remains hopeful.
“With every ending, there’s a new beginning,” Young said. “This is my life after stroke. I don’t want the old life back. I want to build something new.”
That “something new” includes advocacy. Young has launched a blog, begun connecting with survivor networks and is working with local barbershops, churches and community groups in Northwest Arkansas to create spaces where men — especially Black men, who are at higher risk for stroke — can talk openly about health.
“Nobody in the barbershop or church was talking about stroke until I had mine,” he said. “Awareness starts where people gather.”
Arkansas sits squarely in the nation’s “stroke belt,” where stroke mortality rates are significantly higher than the U.S. average, according to CDC data. Yet awareness of stroke symptoms remains low across the state. This reality hit home for Young, who says neither he nor his son recognized the warning signs during his medical emergency
“If we had known B.E. F.A.S.T., we would have called 911 immediately,” he said. “Time lost is brain lost.”
B.E. F.A.S.T. helps people recognize the most common stroke warning signs: Balance loss, Eye or vision changes, Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty and Time to call 911. Calling emergency services immediately allows first responders to begin care and alert the hospital’s stroke team before arrival.
Arkansas sits in the nation’s “stroke belt,” where stroke death rates are significantly higher than the national average. Men and African Americans face particularly high risk, and awareness gaps remain widespread.
Young now uses his voice to advocate for stroke awareness, survivor dignity and earlier action. He is working with barbershops, churches and community groups across Northwest Arkansas to spark honest conversations about stroke risk and prevention, especially among men.
“Nobody was talking about stroke where we gather until it happened to me,” Young said. “Awareness starts with conversation.”
As American Stroke Month continues, the American Stroke Association encourages Arkansans to learn B.E. F.A.S.T., know their risk factors and act quickly if stroke symptoms appear.
“If sharing my story helps even one family recognize the signs and call for help sooner,” Young said, “then it’s worth it.”
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook or X by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
For Media Inquiries
Cyd King: cyd.king@heart.org
For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and stroke.org
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