A stroke at 21? How this survivor recovered and now empowers others

Molly Buccola ran the Los Angeles marathon during the spring of her senior year at Santa Clara University, in the US state of California. The next month, she and her boyfriend enjoyed a fun Sunday riding around on bikes they borrowed from Buccola’s sister, who lived nearby. The next morning, Buccola did not feel up to her usual 6am run, and she slept through class. When her roommate got home that afternoon, Buccola was still in bed. She roused Buccola, who started speaking incomprehensibly. Her left side was weak and she needed help getting to the bathroom. The roommate called Buccola’s then boyfriend to let him know what was going on, and he called her sister. In the emergency room, Buccola lost consciousness. By her side, her sister teared up as she phoned their parents, who live in Oregon. At the hospital, doctors were not sure what had happened to Molly, who was 21 and otherwise healthy. Their initial wave of tests did not provide any answers. A neurologist came to the hospital the next day to review Buccola’s chart. He recognised the signs of a type of stroke known as venous sinus thrombosis, caused by a blood clot that in Buccola’s case led to bleeding in both sides of her brain. Buccola got medication to break it up. She also had what was a new procedure at the time - it was 2005 - called a thrombectomy, when a doctor uses a device to remove a clot from an artery. “If she makes it through the night, we’ll re-evaluate,” her doctor told her family. Buccola continued to lose consciousness after the procedure. Later, with Buccola in a coma, two priests sat by her bedside and delivered her last rites. Meanwhile, Buccola’s other two siblings and their families flew to California to be by her side. They held her hand and prayed with rosary beads. Buccola woke up and gradually became more lucid. Her mother knew she was getting better when she read aloud the one-liner jokes on the hospital ice lolly sticks and waited for laughs. She was, however, paralysed on her left side. Nine days after her stroke, Buccola moved in with her sister and her husband and their new baby. Her mother stayed in town to be her carer, helping her learn how to walk again. Her mother used the same range-of-motion therapy techniques that she had used with her brother-in-law, who had ALS – also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease – which slowly weakens the muscles because the nerves that control them stop working properly. With determination and perseverance, Buccola progressed quickly from a walking frame to a four-point cane. She returned to school to finish her final semester. At graduation, she walked across the stage using just a cane. In the audience, her family wore T-shirts that read “Life is Good”. For the next year, Buccola volunteered at a community dining hall in San Francisco, kept busy with follow-up medical appointments and started graduate school to get a degree in educational leadership. She continued to improve physically. Then she took a job as director of campus ministry at a Catholic monastery and school. She led retreats for community members and helped leaders draft talks on life lessons. But when it came to her stroke, she “just went on with life”. “I didn’t understand how it fit with the rest of my life,” she said. “I didn’t know any other stroke survivors. So, I just tried to move on.” Gradually, with time and distance, she began to reflect on her stroke and remarkable recovery. She came to believe that “it really is important to stop and reflect”. In 2022, Buccola, who now lives in Bend, Oregon, began volunteering as a facilitator at a stroke support group, where she came to see storytelling as an important tool. Now, she is the founder and host of Beyond Stillness: Stories After Stroke, a non-profit organisation that runs a stroke storytelling programme that culminates in a podcast of the same name, which she hosts. She meets one-on-one with survivors as they reflect on the wisdom gained through recovery and then shares their story on the podcast. “I’m in awe of each and every guest, and the way a community has sprouted within our organisation,” Buccola said. “The power of reflection, reframing and storytelling is profound.” Over the past year and a half, the non-profit has recorded over 145 podcast episodes. Listeners hail from 50 US states and 47 countries. The non-profit also organises virtual support groups, retreats and workshops for survivors. One podcast guest said the story-crafting process made her realise “I’m strong. I have a voice … I’m a big advocate with a purpose.” Another said that Molly “sees me in the way I’ve always hoped to be seen”. Survivors who have worked with the non-profit have gone on to restart therapy, start their own support groups and speak about strokes. “Molly empowers a lot of people to look at their story in a different way,” her mother said. “It’s beautiful work.” Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.

A stroke at 21? How this survivor recovered and now empowers others

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Molly Buccola was young and fit when a blood clot in her brain caused a stroke. Now her podcast helps other survivors learn and grow

Molly Buccola was young and fit when a blood clot in her brain caused a stroke. Now her podcast helps other survivors learn and grow