I suffered from a stroke on 10/5/13 at 28 years old. I was on my way to a hair salon appointment. When I pulled into the parking lot, I suddenly felt my right side go numb. As I tried to get out of my car, I collapsed, unable to stand. My right side felt unresponsive. I could not move- all I could do was wait and cry until someone noticed me.

When I did not respond to his text messages, my hairdresser, Nico, came out to the parking lot to find me lying on the ground. When I couldn’t answer, he called the paramedics. The police arrived first, and quickly sent me to the hospital. I passed out in the ambulance on the way there.

At the hospital, I underwent a craniotomy to remove the blood clot that had formed in my brain. It was a hemorrhage in my left-frontal lobe.

The next stage of my journey involved extensive therapy. My dominant right side had been severely affected by the stroke. That paired with muscle atrophy made it hard to function in everyday life. I couldn’t walk, talk, read, or write.

My occupational therapist recommended the SaeboStretch and SaeboFlex to me. The SaeboStretch is designed with a more forgiving platform than most orthotics, making it comfortable to wear. The springs in the SaeboFlex helped me regain the ability to grasp and release with my affected hand.

Through therapy, I have regained most of my previous functionality. I’ve adapted to using my left hand as my dominant hand, and my right side continues to progress. I’m less efficient than I used to be and still get very tired, but I’m much better off than I was a year and a half ago. My right side still needs a lot of work, but I can walk unassisted (with a limp), and if cannot understand something, I take more time or ask for help.

The Saebo products gave me hope. The SaeboFlex makes feel like I’m actively participating in my stroke recovery. My hands are very important to me and I feel like the engineers and designers of Saebo take that into consideration.

Since my stroke, I’ve learned that brain injuries are like snowflakes: no two are alike. I have worked hard to share my story so that I can spark something in someone who could use Saebo products in their recovery. I want other stroke survivors to know that there are options like Saebo out there for them, and that they can truly make a difference in their lives.

Mariah Rose

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Whether you are a caregiver, occupational therapist or even a stroke survivor yourself, Saebo  provides stroke survivors young or old access to transformative and life changing products. We pride ourselves on providing affordable, easily accessible, and cutting-edge solutions to people suffering from impaired mobility and function. We have several products to help with the stroke recovery and rehabilitation process.  From the SaeboFlex, which allows clients to incorporate their hand functionally in therapy or at home, to the SaeboMAS, an unweighting device used to assist the arm during daily living tasks and exercise training, we are commitment to helping create innovative products for stroke recovery.  Check out all of our product offerings or let us help you find which product is right for you.