Stroke patient receives courage award for hard work in rehab

We wouldn't have to give out awards like this if our fucking stroke medical professionals  would just solve the neuronal cascade of death which would result in lots fewer dead and damaged neurons. But no, we have NO strategy to solve one goddamn thing in stroke other than what the next press release should be about.
http://swoknews.com/local/stroke-patient-receives-courage-award-hard-work-rehab

Nancy Swain was honored with this year's Jim Thorpe Courage Award during the Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Center's fifth annual Rehab Reunion.

The Rehab Reunion started in 2011 and invites patients who received care from the rehab center within the last year. 

The Jim Thorpe Courage Award is given to the patient the staff believes showed the most courage in recovering from a disability. Swain suffered a stroke on Feb. 25 and developed some mild weakness on one side of her body, but her speech was affected the most.

"The only thing she could say at the time was 'OK,'" said Shaun Fant, director of the rehab center. "Now she's able to speak with us. She still stumbles on her words, but she has improved so much through so much dedication and determination that it's so great to see how she has been able to recover and continue her progress."

Swain stayed in the hospital for three weeks after her stroke. Today she is an outpatient and attends therapy twice a week. Fant believes his staff nominated Swain because she's pleasant and delightful to be around.

"Even when she was just so frustrated with herself when she couldn't say what she wanted to say, she stayed determined in being able to stick with it, and now she's able to see the results of that," Fant said.

Swain attended the Rehab Reunion on Wednesday with her husband Gary. They were overwhelmed and humbled when Nancy received the award. Nancy Swain said she never would've thought she would be given the award.

"I was flabbergasted," Nancy said.

Couple praises staff

The Swains said the staff at Jim Thorpe has been an inspiration throughout her progress, keeping her interested and encouraging her. She continues to work on her speech even when she's not at the rehab center because she wants to do well for the staff at Jim Thorpe. Gary Swain said it's remarkable to see how the staff has handled his wife since the day they came in.

"I wouldn't have gone to any place else after the three weeks we were here and the way they worked with her when she was an inpatient," he said. "The great piece of news they gave me was we could keep working with the same people. I had no idea such a place existed. I'm sure glad this is the place I ended up sending her."