Help Leslie Write Again
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In Honor of Stroke Awareness Month: Help Leslie to Write Again
At roughly 6:00pm September 28, 2018, Leslie noticed she couldn’t coordinate using a knife or fork, and she couldn’t write out her sister’s birthday card either. She was at a restaurant for her sister’s birthday celebration. Her sister’s family quickly drove her to the hospital where the medical attendants told Leslie “We’re part of the stroke activation team, and we believe you are having a stroke.” Indeed, Leslie was having a stroke.
Consequently, she couldn’t write (important since she was a journalist as a hobby and formerly as a career). Plus, Leslie could no longer see the left side or her body. Much of her memory was impaired as well.
Stroke Signs Include:
Numbness or weakness of the face or extremities, perhaps on one side of the body * Inability or inhibited ability to speak or understand words * Slurred speech which may lend the impression that the stroke victim is intoxicated * Difficulty communicating or following questions and answers in conversation * Confusion, memory loss, lack of good judgment, or inability to make decisions * Loss of balance and lack of coordination * Loss of vision or blurry vision, including the appearance of wandering or bumping into walls when walking * Changes to mood or emotions, such as, an overly defiant attitude or unusual combative behavior (may be managed with medication) * Difficulty in swallowing * Personality changes, such as, elevated fear, avoidance of people, not being open to moving or going out * Rigid movement in extremities, such as, limp arm or difficulty walking * Headaches—sudden and severe
Still, Leslie was not discouraged. The stroke did not dampen her spirits. She is positive. In all, Leslie was in the hospital for nearly 2 months and then 6 weeks of rehab. She couldn’t drive for 2 months. She lost her job too. After rehab, she could write again, though her memory suffers.
Before the stroke, Leslie had published over 400 pages of medical content on a website called www.yourhealthaccess.com to help consumers make better educated decisions regarding their healthcare. She derived much of this information from having the father of her child and her fiancé, along with his friend die in her arms in 1998. Her fiancé and friend died in a car accident - no help came for nearly 2 hours. The father of her child died 2 days after being diagnosed with a kidney infection. She also gained insight from caring for her parents throughout their life-threatening illnesses. The rest of the information came from becoming a medical journalist and publicist, working on over 850 articles published in very reputable health magazines over the course of ten years.
While Leslie still has memory issues, Leslie can write. Leslie is completely determined to get back on her feet and would like to continue to write for www.yourhealthaccess.com. Doctors have commented that Leslie’s young age of 56, meaningful progress towards health, and finding ways to compensate for her deficits will support Leslie in achieving her goals.
Where will your money go?
Our goal is to raise $150,000 to help Leslie with the following:
-- Medical expenses not covered by insurance for nearly 2 months in the hospital.
-- Rehabilitation costs that are not covered by insurance.
-- Living expenses / loss of income.
-- Support and maintenance of www.yourhealthaccess.com.
More background on Leslie:
Leslie is a brain injury victim from a car accident in the mid 90’s. She turned to writing after nine months of cognitive retraining to learn compensation skills for memory impairment. The stroke affected Leslie’s memory further. Leslie is still regaining her strength and minimizing her impairments. If Leslie can complete the www.yourhealthaccess.com website, she will feel rejuvenated for certain. Fortunately, her writing is not impaired.
Thank you for reading Leslie’s story. We appreciate any help or contribution, no matter how big or how small! Leslie would be very grateful for it. Please share this link on your social media sites and through your friends. We will keep you posted on the use of funds and progress going forward. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us directly.
At roughly 6:00pm September 28, 2018, Leslie noticed she couldn’t coordinate using a knife or fork, and she couldn’t write out her sister’s birthday card either. She was at a restaurant for her sister’s birthday celebration. Her sister’s family quickly drove her to the hospital where the medical attendants told Leslie “We’re part of the stroke activation team, and we believe you are having a stroke.” Indeed, Leslie was having a stroke.
Consequently, she couldn’t write (important since she was a journalist as a hobby and formerly as a career). Plus, Leslie could no longer see the left side or her body. Much of her memory was impaired as well.
Stroke Signs Include:
Numbness or weakness of the face or extremities, perhaps on one side of the body * Inability or inhibited ability to speak or understand words * Slurred speech which may lend the impression that the stroke victim is intoxicated * Difficulty communicating or following questions and answers in conversation * Confusion, memory loss, lack of good judgment, or inability to make decisions * Loss of balance and lack of coordination * Loss of vision or blurry vision, including the appearance of wandering or bumping into walls when walking * Changes to mood or emotions, such as, an overly defiant attitude or unusual combative behavior (may be managed with medication) * Difficulty in swallowing * Personality changes, such as, elevated fear, avoidance of people, not being open to moving or going out * Rigid movement in extremities, such as, limp arm or difficulty walking * Headaches—sudden and severe
Still, Leslie was not discouraged. The stroke did not dampen her spirits. She is positive. In all, Leslie was in the hospital for nearly 2 months and then 6 weeks of rehab. She couldn’t drive for 2 months. She lost her job too. After rehab, she could write again, though her memory suffers.
Before the stroke, Leslie had published over 400 pages of medical content on a website called www.yourhealthaccess.com to help consumers make better educated decisions regarding their healthcare. She derived much of this information from having the father of her child and her fiancé, along with his friend die in her arms in 1998. Her fiancé and friend died in a car accident - no help came for nearly 2 hours. The father of her child died 2 days after being diagnosed with a kidney infection. She also gained insight from caring for her parents throughout their life-threatening illnesses. The rest of the information came from becoming a medical journalist and publicist, working on over 850 articles published in very reputable health magazines over the course of ten years.
While Leslie still has memory issues, Leslie can write. Leslie is completely determined to get back on her feet and would like to continue to write for www.yourhealthaccess.com. Doctors have commented that Leslie’s young age of 56, meaningful progress towards health, and finding ways to compensate for her deficits will support Leslie in achieving her goals.
Where will your money go?
Our goal is to raise $150,000 to help Leslie with the following:
-- Medical expenses not covered by insurance for nearly 2 months in the hospital.
-- Rehabilitation costs that are not covered by insurance.
-- Living expenses / loss of income.
-- Support and maintenance of www.yourhealthaccess.com.
More background on Leslie:
Leslie is a brain injury victim from a car accident in the mid 90’s. She turned to writing after nine months of cognitive retraining to learn compensation skills for memory impairment. The stroke affected Leslie’s memory further. Leslie is still regaining her strength and minimizing her impairments. If Leslie can complete the www.yourhealthaccess.com website, she will feel rejuvenated for certain. Fortunately, her writing is not impaired.
Thank you for reading Leslie’s story. We appreciate any help or contribution, no matter how big or how small! Leslie would be very grateful for it. Please share this link on your social media sites and through your friends. We will keep you posted on the use of funds and progress going forward. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us directly.
Organizer
Leslie Ranft
Organizer
Round Rock, TX
