Stroke survivor strikes a chord with book
Through rigorous rehab process and strong will, he regains his abilities and scales quite a few athletic peaks
dubai — Up until 2008, British national Gary George led an “ordinary life”, according to him. An electrical engineer by profession, George was a healthy, athletic man with an incredible zest for life. George’s job also took him to several places across the world and during one of his work-related trips to a remote part of Ethiopia, he suffered a massive stroke while he was in a meeting with his manager.
This happened on December 31, 2008, the New Year’s eve. He was 35 then.
The stroke completely paralysed the right side of his body. “I had become motionless and was unable to sit, speak, eat and understand speech,” said George, in a telephonic interview with Khaleej
Times. According to his doctor, Dr Ajit Kumar, Specialist Neurologist and Medical Director of NMC Specialty Hospital, Dubai, his story is a medical miracle and an incredible source of inspiration for stroke survivors.
The years that followed were both trying and rewarding for George as he underwent a rigorous rehabilitation process that helped him create milestones such as finishing a 5km charity run in 40 minutes, scaling three of the tallest peaks in the United Kingdom, a charity trek to the Great Wall of China and climbing up to the Mount Everest Base Camp, feats which normal and healthy people are unable to do in their entire lives.
“At the time he suffered the stroke, the medical facilities available in that country were only able to provide him basic treatment and he was airlifted to Dubai for advanced diagnosis and treatment. When George came to us, he could not utter a single word and his right side was completely paralysed,” said Dr Kumar.
“George was one of the very few stroke patients who did not have any of the conventional risk factors like high cholesterol, diabetes, or high BP. There was no identifiable cause for his condition. Till date, doctors are baffled as to what caused the stroke. We ran several tests, special ECGs and with everything, we drew a blank.
During his two-week stay at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), he was given necessary medications along with physiotherapy and speech sessions. When he was discharged on January 16, 2009, George was able to sit up, gained appetite and could comprehend speech, said Dr Kumar.
“Prior to this incident, I had no health problem whatsoever. I played a lot of sport and I was medically deemed a fit and healthy person. During the first 48 hours after my stroke, I was semiconscious and I can’t remember a great deal of what happened. Doctors said that I was drifting in and out of conscious- ness,” said George. “The recovery was a long and gradual process that consisted of intensive physiotherapy and physical training.”
“I eventually documented everything that was happening around my head at that time. I compiled my story into a book — ‘At A Stroke, A New Direction: New Horizons’ — which has a vivid description of the challenges I faced.”
“I’ve always been a determined and self-motivated person and the only reason I got this far is because I wanted to. My doctors had suggested that I be transferred to a stroke unit, but I wanted to con- tinue with the recovery at home.”
For the last five years, George has been working out rigorously, and is now perfectly functional. Dr Kumar said: “George’s recovery is extraordinary. I have been working since 1999 and I have never seen anyone who does so well after a stroke.”
George is looking for gainful employment after having spent the last five years in recovery and scaling mountains. “I am just looking to get employed again,” said George.
His book is available on amazon. com and smashwords.com.