Two days before her 38th birthday, Heather Morrill, a mother of three, a wife and a veterinarian in the Charleston area suffered a stroke.
Thanks to the Comprehensive Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center team at MUSC, Heather completely recovered and is able to continue in all of those roles.
Heather and her son Wesley
In November, 2011 Heather started feeling dizzy and had some difficulty walking and with her balance. On her second visit within 24 hours to a Charleston area hospital, Heather was transferred to MUSC where she received a MRI showing she had a vertebral artery dissection. The vertebral artery dissection was causing her to have small strokes in the back part of her brain.
Dr. Raymond D. Turner, Co-Director of the MUSC Comprehensive Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center was able to reconstruct Heather’s artery through a minimally invasive procedure. Through this procedure Dr. Turner placed seven stents in her artery allowing the blood flow to reach her brain. (Learn more about MUSC’s minimally invasive treatments for stroke and aneurysms.)
After physical and occupational therapy including having to learn how to walk again, Heather is back to her every day busy life being a Mom, wife, veterinarian and now an advocate for stroke awareness.
Thank you for sharing your story. You are most likely saving many lives. All the best to you, Sherrie (a nurse in the area)