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Category: Patient and Caregiver Reflections

Stroked Poet: Thirteen is a Lucky Number

Barbara Huntington December 2, 2025

Barbara Huntington offers readers a fascinating chance to experience the workings of a poet’s brain post-stroke. These 13 poems, written as the days play out, move from confusion to blinding clarity and back again. Throughout it all, the poet is sharply aware, watching it all, commenting on it for the world to witness. At one point, he offers a brilliant commentary in ¾ time! This is an experience well worth sharing.

Can You Hear Me, Now?

Katherine Magnoli October 21, 2025

In this inspirational piece, the author details how one crucial act, performed when she was a child by an occupational therapist, formed her entire life path. It was the simple act of teaching her how to hold a pencil in her hand to write. Fast forward to today, and Katherine Magnoli is a writer, a teacher, and an author of children’s books designed to help them choose their own unique career paths.

Poem: Ode to a Stroke, or A Life Altered

Dick Taylor July 29, 2025

It is important to explore the valuable information from patient poems and a potent example of this insight is evident in Mr. Dick Taylor’s poignant reflection on his experience of suffering a stroke. Certainly no standardized outcome measure could reveal the depths of his emotions like the words of his poem, which allow us an intimate view into his true struggles.

Sumpter

Miguel Sanchez September 19, 2023

Download the article (pdf) Table of Contents I packed up and headed toward Sumpter after googling weird shit to do in Wisconsin within 50 miles

Two Dreams about Losing My Body

Johanna Luttrell, Ph.D. October 17, 2017

Body, my house my horse my hound, what will I do when you are fallen…? Johanna Lutrell, PhD, describes the experience of losing her body after a sudden onset of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Healing Hands

Linda Lackey & David Bryan Lackey, MS & Melissa Tober, OTR/L, CHT May 2, 2017

Reflecting on his devoted relationship to his wife, Linda, and her rehabilitation with Occupational Therapist, Melissa Tober, David Bryan Lackey shares the powerful story that inspired the photograph “Healing Hands” and the resultant formation of the Healing Hands clinic which showcases professional images of hands from around the world.

Art Saved My Life

Bill Forester & Cindy Clark, OT/L & Susan Linder, PT, DPT, MHS, NCS & By Emma Goldberg, DPT, MPH Candidate November 30, 2016

Bill Forester reflects on re-discovering himself after suffering a massive hemorrhagic stroke. Realizing that he would not be returning to work, Bill and his family devoted their time to his rehabilitation, embarking on an ambitious path of trial and error and the ultimate discovery of painting as a medium for rehabilitation.

Sharing Spirits and Silence is Strength

Y.A. Warren November 30, 2016

Struggling with severe aphasia after her stroke, Yvette Warren offers a truly powerful poetic expression of her journey and reminds us of the strength in silence.

Finding Your Voice Through Poetry

By Emma Goldberg, DPT, MPH Candidate & Rita Lor, MA, CCC-SLP & Maria Birdseye June 20, 2016

Maria Birdseye, joined by her speech therapist Rita Lor demonstrates the power of poetry in light of the challenges of Parkinson’s disease.

Stroked Poet: Thirteen is a Lucky Number

Barbara Huntington offers readers a fascinating chance to experience the workings of a poet’s brain post-stroke. These 13 poems, written as the days play out, move from confusion to blinding clarity and back again. Throughout it all, the poet is sharply aware, watching it all, commenting on it for the world to witness. At one point, he offers a brilliant commentary in ¾ time! This is an experience well worth sharing.

Barbara Huntington December 2, 2025

Can You Hear Me, Now?

In this inspirational piece, the author details how one crucial act, performed when she was a child by an occupational therapist, formed her entire life path. It was the simple act of teaching her how to hold a pencil in her hand to write. Fast forward to today, and Katherine Magnoli is a writer, a teacher, and an author of children’s books designed to help them choose their own unique career paths.

Katherine Magnoli October 21, 2025

Poem: Ode to a Stroke, or A Life Altered

It is important to explore the valuable information from patient poems and a potent example of this insight is evident in Mr. Dick Taylor’s poignant reflection on his experience of suffering a stroke. Certainly no standardized outcome measure could reveal the depths of his emotions like the words of his poem, which allow us an intimate view into his true struggles.

Dick Taylor July 29, 2025

Sumpter

Download the article (pdf) Table of Contents I packed up and headed toward Sumpter after googling weird shit to do in Wisconsin within 50 miles

Miguel Sanchez September 19, 2023

Two Dreams about Losing My Body

Body, my house my horse my hound, what will I do when you are fallen…? Johanna Lutrell, PhD, describes the experience of losing her body after a sudden onset of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Johanna Luttrell, Ph.D. October 17, 2017

Healing Hands

Reflecting on his devoted relationship to his wife, Linda, and her rehabilitation with Occupational Therapist, Melissa Tober, David Bryan Lackey shares the powerful story that inspired the photograph “Healing Hands” and the resultant formation of the Healing Hands clinic which showcases professional images of hands from around the world.

Linda Lackey & David Bryan Lackey, MS & Melissa Tober, OTR/L, CHT May 2, 2017