Stroke survivors spend the day at Smith Creek Park

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — According to the CDC, every year nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. suffer from a stroke.  

For some of the stroke survivors, their lives are changed forever.  

Several agencies came together to give survivors an opportunity to participate in activities that they may not have been able to do otherwise. 

“This is exactly, ya know, what our mission is — is to provide access to that,” 3Wheel Therapy Founder, Nicole Kohler, said. 

Dozens of stroke survivors in New Hanover County gathered Tuesday at Smith Creek Park to bike, kayak, and paint ornaments.  

With the help of Novant Health, Access of Wilmington, 3Wheel Therapy — participants were reassured they could enjoy the activities safely.   

Ed Ablard suffered a stroke in 2017.  

He said the day was amazing and like the saying goes, it really was like riding a bike — it all came back to him in no time.  

“I’m out here to encourage myself but also to encourage other people in the community to come out from sort of the shadows of illness and come out and try something new, like I did today,” Ablard said.  

Stroke survivor, Brandon Bragg, said he feels unstoppable after putting himself up to the challenge of riding a bike again.  

“That bike right there, I felt like a king,” Bragg said. 

Bragg said Novant Health helped make that feeling possible.  

“It just makes me feel good to know that I can give more besides just 40 hours a week. This is something I enjoy doing on my own time,” Occupational Therapist, Vickie Dingler, said. 

Folks also dipped their feet in the water and tried out kayaking. 

While the fun lasted all afternoon, stroke education also played a big role in Tuesday’s event. 

You should remember the term “BeFast” when looking for the warning signs of a stroke. 

It stands for balance, eyes, face, arm, speech and time — which is of the essence.  

“The sooner you can get help, medical help, the sooner they can stop the symptoms,” Dingler said. 

If you or a loved one see any abnormalities of the acronym “BeFast” — do your part and be fast by dialing 911.