Adam was 26 when he experienced a stroke. Two years later, inspired by the care he received, he’s back to full strength and pursuing a career in health care.

Published: October 7, 2024

Some things are truly meant to be.

Adam Maddox certainly believes so.

Adam is a patient care associate at Norton Brownsboro Hospital. His job: Provide day-to-day support for patients who are recovering from an injury, illness or procedure. Sometimes, support comes in the form of physical assistance with patients’ daily activities. Other times, Adam is there for emotional support, to talk to patients, share experiences and help them feel comfortable and cared for.

For 28-year-old Adam, it’s that facet of the job he can most relate to, because he’s experienced it himself. Two years ago, Adam was a patient at Norton Brownsboro Hospital, fighting for his life.

“I see patients, and I share my story with them every day,” he said. “I know how it is. I know the emotions — the sadness, the depression, the other emotions you don’t know how to explain. There were days I lay in the bed and cried, because I wanted to go home. But I knew I’d be 100% again, be myself again. And now I am.”

‘I didn’t wake up for a week’

It was June 2022.

Adam had just lost his older brother and was sitting at the visitation when he started to feel different. He reached for his phone.

“I was actually sending a text to my friends telling them I didn’t feel good,” Adam said. “And the text didn’t make any sense. It was all scrambled.”

He tried to stand up, but collapsed in front of everyone.

At just age 26, Adam experienced an ischemic stroke and a seizure, brought on by a perfect storm of symptoms — extreme stress, being overweight, poor diet and an underlying blood-clotting disorder.

“He actually had a pretty unusual cause of stroke,” said Bryan J. Eckerle, M.D., inpatient stroke neurologist with Norton Neuroscience Institute. “He had a vein that was blocked by a blood clot, which caused not only some bleeding on his brain, but also his seizure.”

Adam was rushed to Norton Audubon Hospital, stabilized and transferred to Norton Brownsboro Hospital, which is certified by DNV as a Comprehensive Stroke Center.

“I’ll put it out there — I wasn’t taking care of myself,” Adam said. “Obviously, I had high blood pressure. I never went to the doctor. I thought I was invincible, and clearly, nobody is. I wasn’t taking care of myself and it all adds up.”

Adam spent two weeks in the intensive care unit, one of them in a coma. He spent two more weeks on the step-down unit. At times, he required a feeding tube. He lost a majority of his muscle mass. It was traumatic to his body.

“It was a lot for my family, a lot for me,” Adam said. “My mother had just lost her oldest, and here she was thinking she’d lose her youngest too. I didn’t wake up for a week. I got to the hospital on a Sunday and woke up on a Saturday and was like, ‘What’s going on?’

But after a month, Adam turned the corner.

He was released from the hospital and began his rehabilitation plan, requiring physical and emotional life changes. He watched what he put in his body, began working out religiously and taking the proper medication.

He also had a calling to change his career.

At the time of his stroke, Adam was working as a sales manager for a cable company, spending hours each week on the road fulfilling orders. But after four weeks in the hospital, he knew that was no longer what he wanted to do. He saw the care he received at Norton Brownsboro Hospital and wanted to become part of that team.

“Once all that happened and I got the care I got, something told me I was meant to help people, to give back,” Adam said. “I wanted to join the team that helped me and help others. I wanted to become co-workers with those people. I wanted to be here at Norton Brownsboro Hospital specifically, because this is the hospital that I believe saved my life.”

Signs and symptoms of stroke

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means there are more than 795,000 strokes each year in the U.S.

Many common conditions contribute to a person’s stroke risk. They include high blood pressure (hypertension), tobacco use, heart disease and uncontrolled glucose levels.

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability, and it is estimated that one person dies from a stroke every three minutes. With advancements in medical treatment and increased awareness of stroke symptoms, however, the survival rate and quality of life for survivors have improved.

“We think that with lifestyle modifications and with medications and treatments we can reduce the risk of stroke by as much as 80%,” Dr. Eckerle said. “The things we talk the most about are patients monitoring their blood pressure, monitoring cholesterol, monitoring blood sugar, eating well, moving well and exercising.”

Symptoms of stroke have been grouped together to form the BE FAST* acronym, which stands for:

Balance — loss of balance, coordination or dizziness

Eyes — having trouble seeing or change in vision in one or both eyes

Face — uneven smile or face looks uneven, droopy or is numb

Arms — one arm drops when raising both arms; numbness or weakness in one arm

Speech — trouble speaking; slurred or difficult speech

Time — Note the time when symptoms start: Time lost equals brain lost.

*Adapted from Intermountain Healthcare. BE FAST was developed by Intermountain Healthcare, as an adaptation of the FAST model implemented by the American Stroke Association. Reproduced with permission from Intermountain Healthcare. Copyright 2011, Intermountain Healthcare.

“While Adam’s case was certainly unique, it’s important for anyone — regardless of how old they are — to be aware of the signs and symptoms of stroke,” Dr. Eckerle said. “Stroke can affect almost anyone, so it’s important to make sure you’re doing what you can to reduce your risk.”

‘This is the place to come’

Now, two years after his stroke, Adam is working with the people who once cared for him. He’s also hoping to further his medical career by one day becoming a registered nurse.

“That’s what I want to do,” Adam said. “I’m always asked, ‘What makes you stand out?’ And I think I’m able to just understand [the patients’] experience. I can empathize with what they’re going through, from the smallest thing to life-threatening issue. I can understand everything they’re feeling.”

“It’s great to see him and know he’s doing well,” Dr. Eckerle said. “We had a whole team caring for him in the hospital, and it’s so great to see him come back and be a part of that care team. It really brings it full circle for us.”

While he studies, Adam continues to pay that care and kindness forward with his patients in his day-to-day work.

He talks with other stroke survivors, sharing his own story and listening to theirs, providing a unique perspective on their experiences. He knows how lucky he is to be alive and in a position to make a difference in his community.

“I’m living proof that this is the place to come,” Adam said. “This is where I want to be, because this is the place saved my life. My family saw what they did for me. I saw what they did for me. This is where I’m supposed to be.”