Raising Awareness

Creating + Sharing Resources

Changing the System

Have you or someone you love experienced a stroke?

YOU’RE NOT ALONE.

More than 800,000 people in the United States — 13.7 million worldwide — experience a stroke every year.

After a medical trauma like stroke, survival is job one. Job two is working to regain as many and as much of former capabilities as possible.

But there is another less visible and sometimes even more challenging aspect of recovery – the emotional journey to rebuild identities and rewarding lives.

Stroke Onward was founded by Debra Meyerson and Steve Zuckerman, stroke survivor and carepartner respectively. They personally experienced, and confirmed through countless interviews and conversations, the critical importance of the emotional journey in stroke recovery and the lack of resources to support it.

Stroke Onward is working to help create a stroke system of care that focuses on the whole person — one where survivors and families get as much support for their rebuilding identities and rewarding lives as they do for their physical health and rehabilitation.

Read our Stroke Connection columns
for the American Stroke Association

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Join Forces with Stroke Onward

Explore resources that can support the recovery process and join our community to help drive important change in the stroke system of care.

Please sign up for our newsletter and, if you can, consider making a donation to support our work.

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Read or Listen to Identity Theft blue graphic

“… A powerful book for anyone trying to build a life of meaning after stroke.”

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Read our columns and blogs blue graphic

Get to know us better while learning about the stroke recovery process.

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Get our latest news and join our community to catalyze change.

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Get our book guides to accompany your reading of Identity Theft.

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Help Stroke Onward support survivors and improve the system.

Survivor + Carepartner Voices

“Seeing the incredible resilience of people impacted by stroke, and the commitment of those who support them, is truly inspiring,” shared Debra Meyerson. “Our events reinforced how important it is not to let yourself get isolated after a stroke or when living with aphasia, and that we must come together as a community to drive the healthcare system to better support the emotional journey in recovery after traumas like stroke.”

Randy Miller

"The best therapy is living your best life."

Shirley and Doug Hitt

"It feels good to be with people who are walking the same walk."

Lisa Tolefree

"My condition was called aphasia,
I said to myself, who is she? Aphasia?"

Connect with us

Join Stroke Onward founders Debra and Steve and all of our colleagues, collaborators and supporters who are helping to create a system that gives all survivors access to a better recovery after stroke, both physical and emotional.

By joining our community, you will get access to helpful resources, and receive our periodic newsletter that includes updates about our expanding work to support survivors and families and improve the stroke system of care.