A sudden alarm and blinding light roused Adam English from his sleep. He then experienced an unusual sensation, akin to a zipper closing from ear to ear across his face. In an attempt to call out for help, he could only produce incoherent sounds. When he tried to get up from bed, he collapsed and struck his head against the iron bed frame. His wife, Joanne Pera, who works as a high school English teacher, was in the bathroom when she heard a scream followed by a loud thud. Concerned, she stepped out to find Adam crawling towards her. Although he looked at her, he was unable to communicate. At that moment, Pera thought about how strokes typically afflict older individuals, unaware that English had just turned 50.

Without hesitation, Pera dialed 911. As they awaited the ambulance, the dispatcher instructed her to ask English a series of questions. “Can you smile?” he managed to do so. “Can you stick out your tongue?” He could, indeed. However, Pera informed the dispatcher that he still couldn’t speak. An ambulance arrived moments later to transport English to a nearby hospital in Tonawanda, New York, just a short distance from their home. Upon arrival, medical staff quickly diagnosed him with a stroke, identifying a blockage in the blood flow to both his cerebellum and brain stem. The cerebellum is crucial for coordinating motor skills and maintaining balance. Within 15 minutes of Pera discovering him, English was receiving intravenous medication designed to break up the clot.

Subsequently, he was moved to a specialized medical facility, where doctors performed a thrombectomy, a procedure intended to eliminate the clot. Fortunately, by the time the device was ready to extract the clot, it had dissolved on its own. Despite the prompt medical intervention, doctors cautioned Pera that her husband might endure lasting physical and cognitive challenges. Preparing herself for a difficult encounter, Pera entered his room only to be greeted by a smile from English. “Are you there, Adam?” she asked, to which he confidently replied, “I’m still here. I’m still Adam.” Although he could understand and converse, his speech was heavily slurred. He struggled to walk, and issues with his eyelids caused them to close unless taped open, a condition later resolved through surgery.

The medical team informed Pera that the bulk of Adam’s recovery would unfold within the first six months, suggesting that while he might continue to improve, significant progress beyond that would be limited. Once he began rehabilitation, English—a caricature artist since his teenage years—requested to create art. Nurses set up an easel for him in the occupational therapy space where he diligently worked on sketches each day, much to the delight of everyone around him. His drawing skills gradually returned, although he found he could no longer play music—a passion that had defined much of his life prior to the stroke.

In searching for the underlying cause of his stroke, doctors discovered that English had a congenital heart condition known as a patent foramen ovale, a hole between the heart’s upper chambers. This defect, which remains present in many people at birth but usually closes shortly afterward, may have permitted a clot to reach his brain. He later underwent a procedure to correct this issue. Adam returned home in mid-March 2020, coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, he used a wheelchair, but soon transitioned to a cane and then a walker for mobility. With Joanne now teaching classes online due to the pandemic, she was able to devote time to assist him.

By summer, Adam resumed his work as a caricature artist along Buffalo’s waterfront. He was pleased to note that his sketches retained much of their pre-stroke quality. However, he faced challenges in communicating due to slurred speech that sometimes led others to believe he was intoxicated. To address this, Adam created small signs explaining, “Stroke survivor, please excuse any slurred speech.” His vision also suffered after the stroke, preventing him from driving for about a year. Over time, through the use of prism glasses and several eye surgeries, his sight improved.

Adam felt particularly grateful to his speech therapist, Amy Olsen, who shared his love for music. They engaged in singing, which helped him regain significant clarity in his speech. Eighteen months post-stroke, Adam sang with his barbershop quartet at a concert featuring 1950s star Bobby Rydell. Olsen attended this special event, which was a deeply personal victory for him. Pera, along with friends and family, cheered him on during the performance. “He nailed it, and he’s only gotten better from there,” she remarked. English continues to navigate challenges with mobility and speech but remains committed to his recovery. He credits his wife’s unwavering support as a vital factor in his progress, praising her relentless positivity as crucial to his healing journey.