Stroke survivor shares recovery journey to raise awareness on brain diseases
LENOX HILL, Manhattan (PIX11) -- May is Stroke Awareness Month, and strokes are rising in young adults, according to health experts.
Kyle McMorrow is a Brooklynite who suffered a brain hemorrhage in March of 2023 and is using his story of recovery to inspire others. He wants to let stroke patients know that there is hope in the face of adversity.
"I truly experienced depression," McMorrow said. "I thought that I had lost everything. I didn't know if I would ever be able to play basketball or play football or go on a hike."
McMorrow, who is an avid runner and hiker, remembers a time when he couldn't do either after the devastating stroke left him unable to walk, talk, and with impaired vision.
What started as a typical morning for the then 36-year-old quickly took a turn for the worst when McMorrow found himself struggling to articulate words and weakness in his limbs while at work.
"It was really hard for me to walk just a straight line," said McMorrow. "I felt like there was a magnet on my left hip just sort of pulling me."
He began making his way to a local doctor's office, but it was his girlfriend, Ema Jiminez, who researched his symptoms and urged him to instead go to the hospital.
"I literally just started Googling some things, and stroke was the first thing that came up," Jimenez said. "So, I think even if you don't 100% know, you know these are red flags."
McMorrow visited New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he learned he had a brain hemorrhage. After being admitted for two months to wait for the bleeding to stop, Chief of Neurosurgery Dr. Philip Stieg conducted a lifesaving procedure, ensuring the bleeding did not return.
The National Library of Medicine reports a rise in young patients having strokes from 17 per 100 thousand in 1993 to 28 per 100 thousand in 2015. Dr. Stieg says the signs to look out for include blurry vision and losing function in your arms. He added there are ways to prevent stroke.
"You can get good sleep, good exercise, a Mediterranean diet," Dr. Stieg said. "Make sure you don't get diabetes, so watch your blood sugar."
McMorrow and Jiminez celebrated the one-year anniversary of his stroke on a hiking trip to Puerto Rico, where he could once again do what he loves most. As he continues to defy the odds and reclaim his life, he hopes to inspire others with his journey of resilience and determination.