Jason is a former Hall of Fame College baseball player who centered his life around sports. In his free time, he played golf and hockey. He also owned a small business.
Then life took an unexpected turn.
While at work one day, Jason got dizzy after leaning over to pick something up off the floor. Later, Jason talked to his son over FaceTime, and Jason froze. He couldn’t get words out. His son and his son’s mom stayed on the phone with him. His co-workers called the paramedics.
The paramedics gave him the option of going home. “They said, ‘Jason, you don’t have to go with us because you passed all of our tests; you can just go home and rest,’” he recalled. Jason planned on going home, but his son and son’s mom knew something was off, so they picked him up at work and took him to the hospital.
Later that day, Jason received a startling diagnosis: He had had a stroke. His hospital stay was difficult, and he started developing memory loss after his stroke. “I couldn’t say my name. I couldn’t remember my birth name or my birthday,” he says. “So it was hard.”
As Jason’s Kandu Navigator, Puja met with him weekly. She was a resource and his point of contact as he worked through the 90-day program. Puja provided Jason with the tools and encouragement he needed to navigate the complexities of post-stroke life.
Returning home, Jason was confronted with a new reality. “It was hard to do everything,” he says.
Despite the challenges, Jason took advantage of what Kandu offers stroke survivors, including a Survivor’s support group each week. “Jason was committed to the support groups,” says Puja. Jason didn’t miss a Wednesday meeting, even if it meant calling in from the hockey rink.
Jason found the information in the Kandu app helpful. He took advantage of the educational material to learn more about what to expect in his recovery. “I was reading every day,” he says.
He is thankful that Kandu could meet him where he was in his recovery. “It was just a great resource for me to recover,” Jason says. “I could really hone in on what I needed at the time.”
During the program, Jason’s navigator spent time helping him understand his Employee Assistance Program benefits for counseling or insurance-covered mental health platforms. Another important resource that Jason took advantage of was Expressable, a virtual speech therapy platform, to tackle his aphasia.
“Jason’s entire life changed when he had a stroke,” says Puja, “But he’s utilized Kandu resources to take control of his recovery, even after the formal Navigator program was done.
The Kandu program lasts 90 days, but Kandu Navigators are always available for post-program support. Jason reached out to Puja after graduation, and she was able to provide him with support and resources. “He leans into Kandu when he needs support to take action,” says Puja.
Jason acknowledges the ongoing nature of his challenges and the need for self-compassion. “It’s not a marathon,” he says, thinking about his recovery. “There’s no end to the game, no conclusion to the period. It’s a journey for me.”
Reflecting on his experience with Kandu, Jason emphasizes the importance of getting support early. “I think it’s powerful that people know that Kandu is out there as a support system,” he says. “Getting support as early as possible is the key to success.”