Suffering a stroke is a life-changing event, at any age and stage in life. For Crystal, this event occurred at the young age of 21 AND while she was pregnant with her 1st child. There is a lot we can learn from Crystal’s resilience and persistence. Take a read below for her unique and encouraging story…
“Life was really hard at that time. I spent several months undergoing rehabilitation. I had to relearn nearly everything – buttoning buttons, tying my shoes, even basic mobility. It was really, really hard. Even after rehabilitation, I still was only 60-70%. I still had trouble using my arm and I still had trouble walking. I used to fall constantly.”
Crystal enrolled in an iStride™ clinical trial in the summer of 2018. At this time, she was 25 years post-stroke. Crystal had made tremendous progress since suffering her stroke but was still constantly frustrated by her left leg that dragged behind while walking and “sometimes had a mind of its own,” as she described.
During the clinical trial, we tested each participant’s walking speed, balance, and sentiments on their quality of life before and after treatment with the iStride™ device. Excitingly, Crystal’s results showed significant improvement in all tested areas – she was able to improve her walking speed by over 60% AND she reduced her fall risk from ‘high’ to ‘low’ on 2 validated fall prediction tests. Additionally, her scores on our ‘quality of life’ assessment revealed a 40% improvement. Twenty-five years after a stroke, these results are remarkable! Crystal’s story also emphasizes a point that we, at Moterum Technologies, are very passionate about – that stroke recovery can be possible, even many years after stroke.
“Crystal worked extremely hard during each session with the iStride™ device,” described her physical therapist. “Not only was she highly motivated but she could always be found with a smile, positive attitude, and encouraging word from her spouse.” Her therapist continues, “Crystal has been an instrumental part of our iStride™ community. We were very grateful for her participation in our iStride™ focus group that generated real-world user feedback and has helped us customize the iStride™ Mobility Solution for future users.”
After her iStride™ treatment, Crystal credits the iStride™ device with helping her feel more balanced and stable while walking which has helped her become more active. She also reports improved confidence, too. We are so happy for you, Crystal. Thank you for inspiring us and others!!