Radio host survives sudden stroke, makes miraculous recovery

Barb Ellis, co-host of Brighter Tomorrows, survived a life-threatening stroke just one day after recording a show. Thanks to quick action from friends, first responders, and a miraculous surgery, she made a full recovery and returned home within days. Now back at Mountain Laurel, she calls her journey “a miracle” and is more determined than ever to share hope and healing.

THREE MILE CURVE  Tuesday marked the return of Barb Ellis to Brighter Tomorrows on WVOW Radio.

Mike Collins and Barb Ellis host Brighter Tomorrows, a bi monthly radio podcast from mountain laurel integrated health. The two are also good friends, but they haven’t been together for several months since Barb suffered a stroke back on May sixteenth. Collins and Ellis had just completed a recording of Brighter Tomorrows the day before. She says she was having a phone conversation when the stroke happened.

“My friend, Heather Collins, I was on the phone with her and everything was fine,” Ellis said on the latest edition of Brighter Tomorrows. “We were talking and everything, and then all of a sudden I wasn't answering. When she would ask me questions, I wasn't answering and she could hear me trying to breathe. She knew something was going on.”

The stroke nearly took her life, but instead it became a testimony of resilience, rapid medical care, and unwavering faith.

Barb says the quick response from first responders, some of them her close friends, got her to the hospital with a quick flight on a helicopter.

“I keep saying it, keep saying it, keep saying it, but the Lord had everything just exactly where it needed to be for me to be here today.”

Her story highlights the importance of recognizing stroke symptoms quickly and acting fast.

If you suspect someone is having a stroke, remember the acronym F.A.S.T.

·        Face: Is one side of the face drooping? Ask them to smile.

·        Arms: Can they raise both arms, or is one drifting downward?

·        Speech: Is speech slurred or strange? Ask them to repeat a simple sentence.

·        Time: If you notice any of these signs, call 911 immediately. Time is critical.

According to the American Stroke Association, quick action can significantly reduce the damage caused by a stroke.

She went into a successful surgery the same night that cleared a complete blockage in her brain. On Tuesday’s show, Barb talks about the care she received and the struggles following the stroke. She says she had hard time at first with communicating and regaining control of her extremities. Eventually, she regained her strength.

During emergency surgery, the neurosurgeon administer clot-busting medication directly into the blocked artery.

“Everything came out with it — all the blockage,” Ellis said. “The blood started flowing again. The medicine reached where it needed to go. They said it almost never happens like that.”

She returned home just three days after the stroke. By the following week, she was already at Mountain Laurel’s clinic for follow-up care, stunning both staff and friends.

“I heard her laugh in the hallway, and I said, ‘That’s Barb,’” said Mike Collins, her co-host and longtime friend. “We were all shocked. She wasn’t supposed to be up, let alone walking through the building like nothing happened.”

Barb is a peer recovery support specialist, or a PRSS for short, with mountain laurel health. She advocates, mentors and supports people in recovery. She helps individuals get past the barriers of substance abuse disorder. She now feels there is more for her do while she has another chance.

“I've said all along since this started, you know, there's something left here for me to do,” Ellis said. “Before it's all over, there's something left for me to do or I wouldn't be here.”

Throughout her recovery, Ellis credits the support of her family, friends, co-workers, and faith community as essential. Dozens of people visited, called, and sent messages of prayer and encouragement.

“The Lord had everything exactly where it needed to be that night — the people, the timing, the care,” she said. “There’s something left here for me to do. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

One of the emergency responders who helped save her life later told her, “I’ve seen people come out of a house like yours that night and never make it. You weren’t supposed to be here today.”

Ellis said that moment hit her hard. “But I am here. And we’ve got work left to do.”

While her physical recovery was rapid and remarkable, Ellis continues to work through lingering neurological challenges.

“I could say the alphabet and count to 1,000, but if you showed me a number or letter and asked me what it was, I couldn’t always tell you,” she explained. “But if you asked me to point to it, I could find it immediately. It’s all in there. Sometimes it just won’t come out.”

She began speech therapy just days after the stroke, confronting moments when she couldn’t even say her own name.

In addition to hosting future Brighter Tomorrows episodes, Ellis plans to continue advocating for stroke awareness, fast emergency response, and faith-based healing. She also wants to remind people to know the signs of a stroke because timing is everything.

Listen to the complete show here.

For more information about stroke warning signs or to book an appointment with Mountain Laurel Integrated Healthcare, visit www.mlih.org or call 304-792-7130.

PHOTO | Mountain Laurel Integrated Health