Mary Claiborne was on her way to a lunch date with friends. A heavy smoker at the time, she stopped for cash and cigarettes when she noticed her right leg was numb and hard to control.

Mary's condition worsened as she drove to the restaurant, and she realized she might be having a stroke.

"I didn't know the warning signs of stroke, but the numbness gave me a clue," Mary said. "I tried to get people's attention in the restaurant parking lot because I could not get out of my car. Several people ignored me at first; they probably thought I had been drinking because my speech was slurred."

After an ambulance rushed her to the Sparrow Emergency Department, Mary learned she was having a hemorrhagic stroke - a bleeding deep in her brain - that might require surgery. Fortunately, doctors stopped the bleeding and surgery was not necessary. Rehabilitation with physical, occupational, speech and recreational therapists started almost immediately.

Quick Links: Stroke Center

"The sooner you start rehab, the better the outcome will be. I'm still not 100 percent, but thanks to Sparrow Rehabilitation I've gone back to work, have much better balance and can lift 10-15 pounds. I've also learned not to worry about things I cannot control."