Patient Stories
The patient stories from our Stony Brook Cerebrovascular and Stroke Center share firsthand accounts of the exceptional care and successful treatments provided by our medical team. Stroke and cerebrovascular disease survivors describe their positive outcomes and gratitude for our expertise, compassion and commitment to improving cerebrovascular health for all patients.
Gabrielle Neubert
While stroke seems unlikely for a 29-year-old, it happens more frequently than you’d think. Learn how Gabrielle’s plans to become a nurse practitioner and marry her fiancé Stephen in 2025 got quickly back on track thanks to Stephen’s quick thinking to call to 9-1-1, Stony Brook mobile stroke unit first responders, and the life-saving mechanical thrombectomy performed by Stony Brook cerebrovascular surgeon, Dr. Reza Dashti.
Stroke Survivor John Penn
John Penn may be a cat with nine lives, but he and his wife, Laura, credit their "guardian angels" at Stony Brook with making that so.
Kyle Moodt
Days before a championship game, Bellport coach Kyle Moodt underwent life-saving brain surgery at Stony Brook Medicine—and was back on the sidelines, headache-free, to coach his team to victory.
Charlie DeFraia
Just three months after a life-threatening accident, 4-year-old Charlie DeFraia started kindergarten—thanks to the quick actions of his family, first responders, and Stony Brook Medicine’s expert team.
Jerome Hiers, June 2024
Jerome Hiers’ new lease on life, after a groundbreaking clinical trial, June 2024
Chronic subdural hematoma survivor, treated with new, minimally invasive middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) by Dr. David Fiorella.
Logan Baar, January 2024
Logan was stuck at home with the rest of his family — who were all COVID-positive — making the most of his quarantine. Suddenly, his mom heard a blood-curdling scream come from Logan’s room.
Ben Graham, January 2024
Ben Graham approaching an important one-year milestone, January 2024. AVM survivor, treated with neurosurgical/neurovascular intervention by Dr. David Chesler and Dr. David Fiorella.
Ralph Sabatino, April 2023
Ralph has high blood pressure. And his wife says he snores. The day Ralph’s stroke happened was typical, too…until it wasn’t. It was April 23, 2023. Ralph was working on his laptop in his bedroom.
Peter Giordano, December 2022
On December 29, 2022, Pete Giordano was as happy as could be. The day before, he had submitted all his paperwork for his February 2023 retirement from his job with the Town of Hempstead.
Shashi Talwar, July 2022
Back home resting, after a routine visit to the hair salon, Shashi Talwar was chatting with her daughter, Richa Kalra, who is a trained nurse. The next thing Richa knew, her mom’s speech suddenly went haywire and her bottom lip shifted to one side.
