After recently giving birth to her daughter Adenike, Erin Adelekun returned home with a slight headache. Her doctor did not express concern, so Erin felt reassured. She took some pain relief medication and focused on caring for her newborn.

However, eight days later, the headache returned with a vengeance. Erin assumed it was due to lack of sleep and promised herself to contact her doctor if the pain persisted into the next day. The following morning, the headache intensified dramatically. “You need to rest,” her husband Mayowa instructed, sending her upstairs while he took on the responsibility of caring for their baby.

A little while later, Mayowa called her down for breakfast. When Erin attempted to respond, she realized that nonsensical words emerged instead of coherent speech. Panic surged through her as she rushed downstairs, discovering that her right arm was completely limp. Memories of a promotional ball from the American Heart Association flashed into her mind. The ball displayed the acronym FAST, representing the crucial signs of a stroke: face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, and the immediate need to dial 911.

The alarming realization of a possible stroke hit her. With her leg now weak, she limped toward her husband, and Mayowa recognized the urgency of the situation. Upon arriving at the emergency room, Erin’s condition worsened, rendering her unable to walk. An MRI revealed her brain was undergoing a hemorrhagic stroke, which soon led to seizures and significant internal bleeding.

Emergency surgery became essential to halt the bleeding, requiring the removal of a portion of her skull to alleviate pressure within her brain. Given the inadequacies of the hospital in Maryland for handling such severe cases, Erin was airlifted to a facility in Washington, D.C.

It was August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted hospital visits. However, Erin’s doctor successfully petitioned for Mayowa to be permitted inside, fearing that Erin might not survive. When Mayowa arrived, Erin was in a medically induced coma. He held her hand, sang to her, and prayed by her side until staff encouraged him to return home. In the days that followed, he called the hospital multiple times to stay updated.

After three weeks in a glass room and battling COVID-19, Erin finally regained consciousness. She found herself surrounded by nurses clad in hazmat suits, reminiscent of a scene in a science fiction film. The traumatic effects of her brain bleed resulted in aphasia, leaving Erin unable to speak. In long video calls with Mayowa, he often questioned if she recognized him. Yet, a fleeting moment of connection occurred when Erin broke into tears upon seeing Adenike.

With the help of a speech pathologist, Erin learned to communicate using pictures and gradually regained some control over her left hand, while her right side remained immobile. Dedicating herself to both physical and speech therapy, she remained determined. As a mother to adolescents Olu and Marvelous, Erin often reminded herself, “I can cry and mourn, but I’m still going to get up and do my homework and make myself better for my family.”

Over the next several months, Erin progressed from needing assistance to sitting up, managing to walk a few steps by the two-month mark, and eventually returning home at three months post-stroke with a four-point cane and a wheelchair for longer distances. She worried whether Adenike would forget her, though the first reunion proved reassuring when Erin comforted her daughter, who had been crying.

Despite that moment of connection, Erin struggled to care for Adenike independently. For the following year, she continued extensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy, in addition to seeing a psychiatrist. Progress was steady but slow, particularly regarding her speech, which was deeply frustrating for someone with a background in communications.

To overcome her embarrassment in speaking again, Erin pushed herself to make phone orders for pizzas biweekly as a form of therapy. When her employer eventually informed her that her position could no longer be held, it was a heavy blow, albeit not a surprising one considering her ongoing recovery.

Around the same time, Erin launched her Instagram page, Stroke.Mama, documenting her journey of healing. By sharing her experiences, she hoped to support others facing similar challenges. “If I can inspire even one person, that’s my goal,” she stated confidently.

Now, at 43, Erin is enrolled in a writing course with the Stroke Comeback Center to improve her language abilities, expressing her desire to return to work, albeit with the understanding that it may take a different form than before. “I still grapple with finding words,” she said, voicing her frustration when others speak on her behalf.

Though she requires a brace for her right foot and continues physical therapy, Erin finds joy in spending time with Adenike, who is now four. With an adapted vehicle, she successfully takes her daughter shopping and to school.

Mayowa reflects on Erin’s progress with admiration. “It’s truly remarkable,” he said. “ ??????? ????????????? ????????. We remain hopeful that she will heal completely.” Throughout every challenge, Erin has maintained her upbeat disposition. “I am inherently a joyful person,” she affirmed. “Even during grief, I hold onto my happiness.” This hopeful message is something she strives to share with her followers, emphasizing the importance of recognizing stroke signs and raising awareness that strokes can impact anyone, regardless of age.