World Stroke Day reminds us all that stroke is treatable

March of Dimes Canada celebrates global campaign on October 29

TORONTO, Oct. 26, 2016 /CNW/ - Anna Bauer-Ross was 36 when she had her stroke. She was on vacation in the Bahamas with her young kids, unaware of how her life was about to change.

"I had to relearn the basics because the stroke had caused a severe left side neuropathy and even damaged my vocal chords," Bauer-Ross says. "My days of being a busy mom, carpooling, and taking my children to their sporting events were over. I was learning how to conquer the most elementary tasks:  walking, writing, even seeing."

The most surprising thing is that Anna is not alone - stroke can and does strike people of all ages. It's a devastating diagnosis, of course, but there's good news too: stroke is treatable!

That's the theme of this year's World Stroke Day (October 29^th). Like March of Dimes Canada's Stroke Recovery Program, the World Stroke campaign focuses on rehabilitation and recovery, and the fact that stroke survivors can return to engaged, fulfilling lives.

"What happens after a stroke is extremely important," says Andria Spindel, President and CEO of March of Dimes Canada. "March of Dimes Canada focuses on helping the individual move past the stroke, find meaning and support, develop re-integration and independence skills, build new or renew social relationships, access recreation, health education and more.  Stroke Recovery groups assist in rebuilding lives." 

Today, Bauer-Ross is doing well, but she describes recovery as a long-term process.

"Recovery never ends. It's a journey. The key has been to understand the importance of medication maintenance, staying active with the help of my family, and doing all that I can to stay on course with my recovery."

March of Dimes Canada is a nationally registered charitable organization providing support services to people with disabilities, their families and caregivers across Canada. Our goal is to enhance the independence and community participation of people with physical disabilities every day through a wide range of programs and services across Canada.  For more information, please visit www.marchofdimes.ca or call 1-800-263-3463.

SOURCE March of Dimes Canada

For more information, or to schedule an interview with Anna Bauer-Ross, contact: Tina Siegel - PR Coordinator, March of Dimes Canada, Tel: [phone] ext. 7258, E-mail: [email protected], www.marchofdimes.ca