Team Megan - Helping Megan Recover From Her Stroke
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At age 29, Megan suffered a massive stroke; a clot had travelled to her brain. Megan was not discovered until nearly 24 hours later. The stroke left her with extensive brain damage, and Megan could no longer speak, swallow, and was completely paralyzed on the right side of her body.
Following the stroke, Megan spent 10 days in the ICU, followed by another 2 months in the hospital’s acute care medical rehab unit where she began the very long journey of relearning how to swallow, stand, walk and talk with her new body. Megan continues to receives daily physical, occupational, and speech therapy, all in effort to restore as much of her normal functional ability as possible. Thanks to her hard work she has regained the ability to walk and has some limited use of her right arm and hand . Most devastatingly, she suffers from Broca’s Aphasia, also known as expressive aphasia. This means that any form of communication, both verbal and written, is extremely difficult for her, as her brain cannot connect the thoughts she wants to express into words. This results in broken, incomplete sentences where she is unable to find the words she wants to say.
Despite her poor prognosis, Megan continues to improve and our hope is that she will continue to do so. She has, after all, defied the odds before. When Megan was just 2 years old, she was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive cancer and given only a 10% chance of survival. To combat her cancer, she received 100 days of in-patient chemo and radiation over the course of a year. She is a cancer survivor, but the treatment left her with extreme damage to her heart, lungs, and back. She continues to receive ongoing medical treatments and medications for these conditions, resulting in ongoing and extensive medical bills.
Even with these challenges, Megan has always been extraordinary. She was an accomplished artist, writer and pianist. She performed volunteer work in her community. She graduated top of her class in high school, attended college, and went to medical school. When Megan had her stroke, she was in the last 6 months of her residency program and had been awarded a fellowship. Megan had a bright future, but now she may never work again. She has little disability insurance or savings due to her educational expenses and the meager salary that a resident earns. And her medical and therapy needs and costs are ongoing. That is why we are reaching out to you.
Megan dedicated her life to helping others. Everyone who worked with her at the hospital told us what an exceptional doctor she was. To quote one of her doctors, “Megan gave everything she had to help her patients. Now she needs us to care for her”. We know times are hard right now, but anything you can give to help Megan continue fighting would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for any help you can provide.
Following the stroke, Megan spent 10 days in the ICU, followed by another 2 months in the hospital’s acute care medical rehab unit where she began the very long journey of relearning how to swallow, stand, walk and talk with her new body. Megan continues to receives daily physical, occupational, and speech therapy, all in effort to restore as much of her normal functional ability as possible. Thanks to her hard work she has regained the ability to walk and has some limited use of her right arm and hand . Most devastatingly, she suffers from Broca’s Aphasia, also known as expressive aphasia. This means that any form of communication, both verbal and written, is extremely difficult for her, as her brain cannot connect the thoughts she wants to express into words. This results in broken, incomplete sentences where she is unable to find the words she wants to say.
Despite her poor prognosis, Megan continues to improve and our hope is that she will continue to do so. She has, after all, defied the odds before. When Megan was just 2 years old, she was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive cancer and given only a 10% chance of survival. To combat her cancer, she received 100 days of in-patient chemo and radiation over the course of a year. She is a cancer survivor, but the treatment left her with extreme damage to her heart, lungs, and back. She continues to receive ongoing medical treatments and medications for these conditions, resulting in ongoing and extensive medical bills.
Even with these challenges, Megan has always been extraordinary. She was an accomplished artist, writer and pianist. She performed volunteer work in her community. She graduated top of her class in high school, attended college, and went to medical school. When Megan had her stroke, she was in the last 6 months of her residency program and had been awarded a fellowship. Megan had a bright future, but now she may never work again. She has little disability insurance or savings due to her educational expenses and the meager salary that a resident earns. And her medical and therapy needs and costs are ongoing. That is why we are reaching out to you.
Megan dedicated her life to helping others. Everyone who worked with her at the hospital told us what an exceptional doctor she was. To quote one of her doctors, “Megan gave everything she had to help her patients. Now she needs us to care for her”. We know times are hard right now, but anything you can give to help Megan continue fighting would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for any help you can provide.
Organizer and beneficiary
Patrick Johnson
Organizer
Buffalo, NY
Kathleen Johnson
Beneficiary