It was midterm week at Clarence High School in New York when senior Maddy Ferriter faced a life-changing moment. At 9 a.m., she took her place in the lecture hall for her Advanced Placement calculus exam. Just before the exam began, she turned to a friend to chat about the previous night’s Buffalo Bills game. As the teacher began distributing the exam papers, Maddy felt an alarming numbness consume the entire left side of her body. “I can’t feel my face,” she whispered to her nearby friend, who was unable to comprehend the severity of the situation.
Seated in the front row, Maddy managed to signal for the teacher’s attention, telling them, “I need help. I can’t feel my body.” The teacher promptly assisted her into the hallway, where Maddy sat down, confused and overwhelmed, questioning whether this was simply a reaction to stress from the important exam. Soon, the school nurse arrived, asking her name, the time, and her location, all of which Maddy answered correctly. The nurse then contacted Maddy’s parents, John and Kim Ferriter, to inform them about the dire situation.
Around ten minutes later, her father John arrived, finding Maddy still unable to move her left side. Given Maddy’s history of migraines that caused numbness and tingling, they presumed this episode was just another migraine attack. John, however, took the precaution of contacting her neurologist, who advised them to bring her in for further evaluation. One hour later, an MRI would reveal the shocking truth: Maddy was experiencing a stroke.
Unfortunately, by the time they arrived at the hospital, too much time had passed for Maddy to receive effective clot-busting treatment. John, who was an MRI technician in the past, felt regret for not considering the possibility of a stroke sooner, which could have expedited her treatment.
Fortunately, her youth and good health contributed to a swift recovery, although the numbness lasted several days with no other symptoms appearing. Maddy’s primary concern was how this unexpected health issue would interfere with her upcoming plans such as attending prom, participating in her final varsity softball season, and walking across the graduation stage. “What’s the soonest I can return to school?” she repeatedly asked her doctors, adamant that she wouldn’t miss softball season, which was only two months away. Remarkably, Maddy was back in school the very next week.
Shortly prior to her stroke, she had received a new electric guitar, which turned out to be instrumental for her physical therapy, particularly since the sensation in her fingers was the last to return. “She worked tirelessly to recover; she trained her brain to reconnect with her fingers,” her father remarked appreciatively. Medical tests at the hospital eventually determined that her stroke was caused by an undiagnosed congenital heart defect—a patent foramen ovale, which meant she had a hole in her heart that failed to close naturally after birth.
Before the softball season began, Maddy underwent a procedure to rectify the heart issue. Remarkably, just within a week of the surgery, she was back playing softball. Fast forward two years, and Maddy is now a sophomore at the University of Buffalo, majoring in biomedical engineering—a choice she became passionate about after undergoing extensive medical evaluations. “Witnessing the advancements in both medicine and engineering was eye-opening,” Maddy stated enthusiastically. “It motivated me to enter college and explore how I can contribute to advancements in medical devices and engineering.”
Moreover, Maddy is committed to raising awareness about strokes occurring at any age, a mission that intensified during her hospital stay as the reality of her situation set in. “This shouldn’t be happening to an 18-year-old,” she expressed to her parents, advocating that more people should be educated on the matter. Her father gently reminded her, “I agree, but let’s focus on getting you healthy first, then we can tackle awareness.” In sharing her story, Maddy continues to inspire others while advocating for awareness regarding heart and brain health.
