A place of his own A place of his own

On June 11, 2021, Donald Mumby woke up in his college room feeling groggy and disoriented. He chalked it up to a stomach bug. But as his symptoms intensified, he wandered out into the hallway, where his legs suddenly gave out beneath him. He doesn’t remember the next part: an ambulance ride to the nearest hospital, in Pembroke, Ontario. At 26 years old, Donald was having an ischemic stroke.

Doctors diagnosed him with a blood clot in his basilar artery, a major blood vessel at the base of the brain and quickly transferred him to Ottawa’s Civic Hospital for emergency treatment. There, a team performed an endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), a cutting-edge procedure that restored blood flow to the right side of his brain. It saved his life and prevented further damage.

Still, in the days that followed, Donald couldn’t speak or think clearly. He couldn’t walk. He was blind. He went on to spend a month at Bruyère Hospital in rehabilitation, relearning basic functions with occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and speech pathologists — and great determination.

“There definitely were a lot of ups and downs — it’s a difficult thing to go through mentally,” says Donald.

Recovery was slow, steady and hard-won. After rehab, Donald moved back in with his family, who supported him through everyday tasks such as grocery shopping, cleaning and getting to appointments. Over the following months, he progressed from a wheelchair to a walker, then to a cane. Today, he has full mobility. He also speaks clearly, and his vision has much improved.

Donald has nonetheless had to adapt to life with mild aphasia, a condition that can make expressing yourself, understanding others, reading or writing more challenging. He has renewed his sense of purpose through a job in a new field and volunteering.

“Getting back to work, getting my dexterity back, being able to speak clearly — these little victories pile up over time. You can stop continuously thinking about what you’re missing out on and start living again.” 

Now, Donald is looking ahead with optimism. He’s preparing to move into his own condo by the end of the year.

“Probably my biggest milestone after the stroke,” he says, “is getting my independence back.” 

Creating more milestones

From taking his first steps after rehabilitation to preparing for a home of his own, Donald exemplifies the impact medical advances can have on a person’s future. Heart & Stroke supporters play an important role in making that progress possible by funding research that helps more people survive, recover and continue creating meaningful moments with the people they love.