Counting Down to Five Years: A Story of Stroke Survival and Advocacy
By Tania Saiz
On Aug. 8, 2020, I woke up early, feeling fine — my daughter and I planned to head to Boulder, Colorado, for a hike. Suddenly, I saw a flash of light in my right eye, like a crack of lightning, and then things felt off. I thought it might be a headache and told my daughter I would lie on the couch downstairs to wait for her to get ready. I had hoped to rally. But within minutes, my arm began tapping against my side. And then, I asked my daughter, “Maya, where’s my arm? Where’s my hand?” She was holding my hand, but I couldn’t feel it. I kept asking, over and over, “Where is it?”
Maya was on the phone with my partner in New York, trying to figure out what was happening. This was during COVID, so they were discussing whether to call telehealth. Meanwhile, I stood up to go to the bathroom, and my leg gave out. I collapsed on the floor. I tried to get back up, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. That’s when Maya called 911. It had been 15 or 20 minutes since I first noticed the symptoms. When the paramedics arrived, they were in full protective gear, and I remember feeling scared. They kept telling me to stop moving my arm, but I kept explaining, “I’m not doing this. It’s moving on its own.” One of the EMTs was talking to Maya, and in addition to taking my history, he kept asking if I’d been under stress. Maya, only 19 at the time and terrified, mentioned that we were closing on a home. They asked me if I wanted to go to the ER, and although I didn’t realize it then, that was my first act of self-advocacy: I said yes.
In the ambulance, the paramedics asked me if I’d ever had a panic attack. I answered honestly, twice — years ago. But I tried to explain that it only affected my breathing. That was enough for them to decide this was just a panic attack and tell Maya, “No need to come, we’re taking your mom on a nice slow ride to the hospital, you can just meet us there later.” We arrived at the hospital about 45 minutes after the onset of symptoms. I don’t remember much from the ER, but later that day, I woke up in the ICU after having undergone a failed manual thrombectomy — a surgical procedure to remove a blood clot blocking a blood vessel in my brain. The doctor initially thought it was a complex migraine, so I just went into a non-urgent queue for CT. I ended up spending 20 days in the hospital, with a return visit to the ICU due to a brain bleed, and then 10 more days in acute rehab. It was a horrifying ordeal.
This experience taught me several hard truths: Right-side strokes present differently than left-side strokes, and strokes don’t just happen to older people — they can strike at any age, and women need to be aware of stroke occurring even in younger women. It also underscored the importance of being your own advocate. Over the past four and a half years, I’ve worked incredibly hard in physical, occupational and speech therapy. I’ve learned that while healing is tough, it’s also empowering. Through this journey, I have been inspired to raise awareness, hoping to help others navigate their own paths to recovery. Mindfulness has been a key part of my healing process, and one way I give back is by serving as a mindset facilitator for the LoveYourBrain foundation, which offers free programs for individuals with brain injuries and their caregivers.
This year, I am incredibly fortunate to be part of the American Heart Association's 2025 Go Red for Women Class of Survivors. By telling my story, I hope to raise awareness and support others who might be going through something similar. I want to make a real impact. I’m also honored to be a Lay Stakeholder in the Science Task Force member — our goal is to bring the voices of survivors, caregivers and advocates into the American Heart Association's research efforts. If you're curious about getting involved, please reach out!
I was recently excited to learn about another AHA program — Cycle Nation, which focuses on brain health and stroke awareness. These are my people! I’ve set a personal goal to ride in the Denver event on Sept. 4, the fifth anniversary of my release from the hospital. Five years ago, I was focused on relearning to use my hand and worrying about falling, but now I am ready to ride alongside my daughter, partner and service dog, Stevie Nicks. This milestone represents not only my own progress but my desire to help others navigate their journeys. It’s been a long journey, but every step forward is a step of victory. I’m excited about what’s ahead.
For more information on this topic, visit www.heart.org.
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Would you like help dealing with heart or stroke conditions — either yours or someone else’s? Join us in the AHA’s Support Network! We are an online community of patients, survivors and caregivers where you can share your experience while getting encouragement, hope and informational resources from others who have been there. Membership is free and the benefits can be priceless. Register today.