Vanessa Harris

When Vanessa suffered a stroke, she was in the right place: in the presence of her roommate. Vanessa’s roommate knew the signs of a stroke. As a result, she recognized what happened to Vanessa, and got her to the emergency room in Show Low, AZ.

Vanessa Harris is preparing to return home after inpatient stroke rehabilitation at RHNA.

Vanessa’s road to recovery began at the hospital in Show Low. But in order to return home safely, Vanessa would need intensive inpatient rehabilitation. For that, she chose Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Arizona.

At RHNA, Vanessa’s goal was to return home independent. “I want to be able to drive and go do the things that I used to be able to do,” Vanessa said. Prior to her stroke, Vanessa enjoyed camping with her best friend and spending time with her dogs. The motivated her to work hard in her therapy sessions.

“Determination and perseverance,” Vanessa said, when asked how she defines success. Vanessa acknowledges the role motivation played in her recovery, as well as those who cared for her at RHNA. “There was a lot of staff,” Vanessa noted as she reflected on those who helped her heal. “A lot of [my recovery] has to do with Carissa and the physical therapy team, and Matt with speech therapy. I’m grateful the people here were so caring!”

Vanessa looks forward to returning home and eventually driving again. We are so proud of Vanessa, and so thankful her roommate knew how to spot a stroke!