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RR5: Mountain Top Woman Suffered Stroke At 30

MOUNTAIN TOP — Megan Mitchell of Mountain Top has a story that’s nearly impossible for any new mom or really anyone in their early thirties to imagi...

MOUNTAIN TOP -- Megan Mitchell of Mountain Top has a story that's nearly impossible for any new mom or really anyone in their early thirties to imagine.

"It was May 12, the day after Mother's Day," Megan Mitchell recalled. "My stroke kind of came out of nowhere."

"It progressed so fast. I said to my husband 'call an ambulance, I'm having a stroke.' I collapsed on the floor."

"When she mouthed the words to me 'I think it's a stroke' and she said it stuttering I just broke down and lost it completely," said Tom Mitchell.

Doctors confirmed this health-conscious Crestwood Elementary School teacher did have a stroke at just 30 years old. Megan was hospitalized for weeks as her husband Tom and family looked after the couple's infant daughter and 2-year-old son.

"My left side was almost paralyzed," said Megan. "And there's still no reason on why I had a stroke."

Megan eventually became an inpatient at Allied's Heinz Rehab Hospital near Wilkes-Barre. It's there where a combination of physical and occupational therapists used new technology to get this now 31 year old back on her feet.

"They never gave up."

Some of those life-changing devices that got Megan walking again included the "Zero G."

"Immediately you can feel I might get this back!"

"The Zero G" was purchased during year two of WNEP's Ryan's Run campaign. Now as we near the finish line of year five, we hope even more donations can help us change even more lives of people like Megan Mitchell, along with kids and adults with disabilities who depend on Allied Services.

You can still make a difference by clicking here.

Read Megan's stroke blog here.

As for Megan, she's back home and still uses a feeding tube until the muscles in her throat return to normal.

Her advice is to know the warning signs of a stroke and remember the acronym FAST. If you see someone's face struggling to smile, having difficulty raising their arms or speaking, it's time to call 911.

"The sooner you catch it, the better your recovery outlook is."

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