Story of Stroke Recovery: Wil Floyd

Wil Floyd dedicated his life to saving other people.  However, this former firefighter/paramedic wasn’t prepared when his life was on the line.  Although he knew the signs of stroke, he didn’t recognize them in himself.

While watching television one night, his arm and leg began to go numb.  He thought maybe they had fallen asleep, but he wasn’t sure, so he drove himself to the hospital.  But by the time he arrived the feeling had returned. So Wil went home and went to sleep. He never went inside, never saw a doctor.

At 4 am, Wil woke up. This time his left side was completely paralyzed. Despite the fact that nothing on his left side was working, Wil made the questionable decision to drive himself back to the hospital. Luckily he made it, and this time went inside.  Although he was a former paramedic, it never occurred to him that he was having an ischemic stroke.

“I didn’t think anything like this would ever happen to me. I’ve always been very active. I just got through taking a two week trip up north visiting family, came back and everything was cool. I had no idea that this was going to happen,” Wil said.

When he arrived at Brooks four days after his stroke, he couldn’t move his left side.  His physical therapist told him he was going to walk.  “How can I walk?  My leg doesn’t move.  How can I walk when it doesn’t move,” he asked.  But his therapists got him up and they practiced walking. When he left Brooks 18 days later, he was able to walk out the door.

He started outpatient therapy and became a member at the Brooks Neuro Recovery  Center.  “The more I came in, the more I was able to do and the better I walked,” he said.  He has now discovered a new way to help others by using his experience to mentor fellow stroke survivors.

Recently, Wil was honored as one of six Faces of Stroke at a Brooks reception. His therapist shared, “Wil is the kind of person that will not accept failure. He puts 100% into every session to reach his goals.  Between his vast recovery and his resourcefulness, he was back to living independently, driving, and living life to the fullest in no time. It’s always a treat for therapists, nurses and current patients to see him when he visits!”

To learn more about our comprehensive stroke recovery services Brooks has to offer, please visit our Stroke Page.