State:
Ohio
2021 Stroke Caregiver Hero: Mark Matasic
The American Stroke Association recently honored stroke survivors, health care professionals and caregivers from across the country. We're excited to introduce Mark Matasic of Campbellsville, Ohio, as our 2021 Stroke Caregiver Award recipient.
hero_image_alt_text===father and son
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thumbnail_alt_text===father and son
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Meet Young Stroke Survivor, Kate Mushala
While at work, I felt a rush in the back of my neck/head like a fizzy drink with the start of total confusion. I went back to my desk and tried to work but was too disoriented. After several minutes, I stumbled to my manager’s office. At that time, I sat down and tried to say, “something is wrong.” That’s the moment, I realized my speech was unrecognizable.
hero_image_alt_text===Kate Mushala
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thumbnail_alt_text===Kate Mushala
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Meet Tracie Chandler
At age 39, I weighed 240 pounds. I was fighting obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. My doctor said if I wanted to live into my forties, I needed to do something about my health. With a leap of faith, my journey began.
hero_image_alt_text===Tracie Chandler
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thumbnail_alt_text===Tracie Chandler
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Charles Lynch, Ohio
As an attorney from Mansfield, Ohio, I have a busy practice and I am involved in a lot of activities and community events. I thought I was in good health until I had difficulty breathing during the winter of 2014-2015. One thing led to another and all of a sudden, I was diagnosed with a 90% blockage to the main artery of my heart. I was told that I was having open heart surgery the very next day. Needless to say, my wife, Cindy and I were in a state of shock.
hero_image_alt_text===Lynch Family
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thumbnail_alt_text===Lynch Family
Share Your Story: Jeff Embleton and Why Healthcare Matters!
Access to affordable, accessible and adequate healthcare is important to me for a variety of reasons. On a personal level, as a heart attack survivor, I know firsthand how access can save your life. Without prompt treatment, I may not be here to share my experience and advocate for policy that protects patients first.
hero_image_alt_text===Family picture
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Meet Antrone "Juice" Moore
On September 26, 2012, Antrone suffered a massive brain hemorrhage stroke at the age of 37.
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Christi Nelson, Ohio
I was 29 years old and completely healthy. October 18, 2006, was just like any other day at Akron Children’s Hospital where I was completing my internship to be a Child Life Specialist.
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Gloria Hobbs, Ohio
For many years, Gloria Hobbs lived with her husband on the south side of Youngstown, where there was a grocery store a few blocks away. Unfortunately, the passing of Gloria’s husband and the economic downtown precipitated many changes in her life. She now lives in subsidized senior housing downtown and is no longer able to drive, which unfortunately means she no longer has convenient access to a grocery store.
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Bill Forester, Ohio
Bill Forester recalls the moment he heard the doctors tell his family that he was gone. At 51-years-old, he was a college professor, realtor, director of labor and public speaker who led a healthy lifestyle. "I was a vegetarian, I ran and I never smoked," said Bill, which is why it was such a shock when he had a stroke that left him in a coma for three days.
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Garry Beltz, Ohio
At 72 years young, Garry Beltz is no stranger to speaking up for causes he believes in. When he lost his wife to cancer, his world was changed forever. He turned his grief to advocacy, initially with the American Cancer Society and then, after becoming a heart disease survivor himself, to the American Heart Association. As a passionate voice for change, Garry has attended Congressional Lobby Days in Washington, D.C. 23 times, most recently this past May when he joined nearly 400 advocates from across the country for AHA's You're the Cure on the Hill.
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