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

South China Morning Post

5 days ago

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.
A neurologist who saw Buccola recognised the signs of a type of stroke known as venous sinus thrombosis. Photo: Shutterstock
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.