Stroke
Fit
Foundation
Neale's Story
On May 24th, 1986, I was born into this world looking a little more extraordinary than most babies. Born with a complete cleft lip & palate, my parents knew I would have more challenges than most growing up. Fast forward to 3 years later, when they were told that I have a ganglioglioma brain tumor. Through 3 1/2 years of chemo and radiation, my medical team had successfully shrunk my tumor. I have thankfully had very few side effects from the tumor.
34 wonderful years have gone by, and I have been blessed to live a pretty normal life. I was an athlete in almost every sport that my school had to offer. Soccer became my most beloved sport, which I have continued to play up until the day of my stroke. After high school, I went on to graduate from the University of Toledo. After college, I met my incredible wife, Amanda. Little did I know, our marriage vows were going to be put to the test rather quickly.
The morning of May 21st, 2018, I suffered a devastating stroke. In the beginning, my symptoms were very mild, and I had no idea what was happening to me. I felt numbness and pins and needles on the left side of my body. I experienced different levels of confusion and a sense of vertigo that progressively got worse. Amanda knew something serious was wrong with me and got me to the hospital that evening. By 2:00 am that night, my body had gone into complete paralysis. I could not speak, I could not eat, and I could not move my entire left side. That really was the scariest day of my life
The next day, when I woke up in the hospital, I knew that there was only one option going forward: I was never ever going to give up. I was going to work as hard as I could. I knew that whatever the doctor was going to tell me, I was going to work and work and work until I couldn't work anymore. For me, that seems to be the magic bullet. Working hard and never giving up, along with fueling your body and having the right mindset, will absolutely lead you to success.
My faith is an absolute Cornerstone to my life and my continued recovery. Our Foundation is rooted in faith, understanding, and belief! Knowing that God has true control. We truly must take every opportunity in our rehab and recovery, and we must have Faith. The support of my loving wife and an outpouring of love and encouragement from my family and friends have allowed me to find my true passion in life!
Focused on Empowering You.
The Stroke Fit Foundation's mission is to empower Survivors of any age. Providing innovative, age-appropriate fitness and wellness programs that enable you to reclaim your independence, career, and quality of life. We can focuss on the specifics so you can Focuss on the Recovery
Our Values
Innovation
We leverage cutting-edge tools to deliver personalized and adaptive rehabilitation solutions.
Patient-Centered
Every program is designed to respect individual goals, ensuring care remains deeply human and focused on your unique needs.
Accessibility
We believe advanced rehab technology should be available to everyone, regardless of financial or geographic barriers. Our services are free of charge.
"For 15 years, my hands were my livelihood. I was an electrician, and every circuit and wire depended on my precision and skill. Then a hemorrhagic stroke took it all away. Four months in, with very little use of my left hand, my balance and ability to walk were massively affected. Traditional therapies felt generic, and I was running out of hope. I was beginning to think I’d hit a wall and would never get back to work.
That’s when I found the Stroke Fit Foundation. I reached out to Neale, the CEO, expecting a simple reply about technology. What I got was a game-changer. Neale didn't just share innovative tools; he gave me the educational resources and personalized training I needed to actually make progress.
Most importantly, he took the time to talk, heart-to-heart, about the mental and emotional side of recovery—all of it completely free. It was then I truly understood their mission. This wasn't a business; it was a community built on the kindness of others. That's the real value of the Stroke Fit Foundation: they offer life-changing help because people believe in their cause enough to fund it. If you're a stroke survivor feeling lost, or someone who wants to help, this foundation is the real deal."
