Patient Stories: A change in perspective after surviving a stroke

Retired police officer James Rawl was home having lunch with his mother when he choked on some iced tea. His mother, concerned, asked if he might be having a stroke. When he made it to the emergency room, his mother’s intuition was proven correct.

He was airlifted from the Greenwood hospital over to Columbia to the Prisma Health Richland Hospital Comprehensive Stroke Center. Surgeons were able to remove the blood clot from his head, and he suffered no serious speech impairment or issues with range of motion afterward.

“I guess it’s a testament to the quality of care that I received, that I didn’t even think I had a stroke,” said Rawl.

His medical team declared him the ‘Gold standard for stroke recovery,’ and today Rawl and his wife continue to enjoy their time together with improved health.