Jeffrey Morse in Nepal, four years after surviving a spinal cord stroke. (Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Morse) Having been a flight engineer during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Jeffrey Morse knew resilience. He knew headaches and migraines from his past. But in the summer of 2012, it felt like someone was ripping the skin…
Stroke survivor Christina Saldivar. (Photo courtesy of Christina Saldivar) Lea en español Christina Saldivar felt well-rested and energetic when she headed to her elementary school in Newport News, Virginia, on a Monday morning in February 2020. At 26, she was enjoying her first year of teaching music at the same campus instead of bouncing around…
Morgan House shed nearly half her weight after bariatric surgery. (Photo courtesy of the House family) A few weeks before Thanksgiving, Ken and Morgan House of Newington, Connecticut, spent a week at one of her favorite places – Disney World. They walked to all the theme parks, went on countless rides and shared healthy meals….
Celebrity photographer and stroke survivor Donna Dymally. (Photo by Bob Jimenez) The way freelance photographer Donna Dymally sees it, snapping pictures imparts important life lessons. “Focus on what’s important, and if you don’t like the shot, take another one,” she said. “We develop from the negative, just like a photo.” That attitude helped Dymally recover…
Leukemia and stroke survivor Olivia Story. (Photo by Julie O’Neill Photography) “Mommy, I’m tired” became a common refrain from usually peppy 7-year-old Olivia Story to her mother, Jennifer. Olivia also wasn’t eating as much as usual. And she often had a low-grade fever. The family was about to head from their home in Chino Hills,…
Heart failure survivor Jeff Russ (right) with his wife, Christina, and dog, Lacey. (Photo courtesy of the Russ family) Jeff and Christina Russ – and their beagle mix, Lacey – were walking their regular 2-mile loop through their neighborhood in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, when Jeff began to feel winded. It was a warm Sunday evening…
After spending 10 days in intensive care recovering from a stroke at age 32, Kelly Fucheck overhauled her life. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Fucheck) Kelly Fucheck woke up one summer Sunday ready to spend a quiet morning at home with her husband, Glen. Their toddler, Tomas, had spent the night at grandma’s house. She picked…
University of Kentucky offensive lineman Kenneth Horsey needed heart surgery when he was a senior in high school. (Photo courtesy of University of Kentucky Athletics) Kenneth Horsey was digging into a pile of baby back ribs with his family after church. It was Easter Sunday 2018 and Kenneth had much to look forward to in…
Heart attack survivor Cherée Johnson. (Photo courtesy of Cherée Johnson) We published nearly 100 inspiring stories of survival this year. These 10 profiles topped the list. 1. Months after learning to walk again, 24-year-old finally learns what caused her paralysis When Andrea Paez went from athletic to almost immobile, grief nearly overtook her. With determination…
Heart disease survivor Gary Saunders in a 2018 photo with his grandsons (from left: Jaxon, Austin and Jaden Banks) and black lab, Hunter. (Photo courtesy of Gary Saunders) For more than three years, Gary Saunders struggled with heartburn. Antacids helped – if he took a handful of them. He figured it was stress or the…