It’s been almost a year since Jodi Hammell suffered a stroke at work, and on Nov. 14, she will share her story at the Hudson Valley Go Red for Women Luncheon. Go Red for Women is a worldwide initiative of the American Heart Association, a global force for longer, healthier lives, designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women locally, nationally, and globally.
Hammell was at work on Oct. 3, 2023 when she had her stroke.
“I had just gotten back to work after being out for a medical leave,” Hammell said. “Things were going so well. I recall that suddenly, I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t move my hand. I felt lethargic, like I needed to lay down. I remember being panicked.”
Hammell’s colleague in the adjoining office of the Vassar Film Department thought she heard Hammell crying.
“I wasn’t crying, I was breathing heavily,” Hammell said. “I remember that I was trying to speak with my coworker, but couldn’t, and I remember pleading with her with my eyes. I panicked. She called 911. I was having seizures.”
Hammell doesn’t remember everything that happened, but she was told later that the ambulance and Vassar security came.
“I have flashbacks, and I see bits and pieces of it,” she said. “I think I remember the feeling that I was going to choke. I do remember waking up and thinking that everything was fine, and that I was better.”
Hammell’s daughter, Sophie, reported that Hammell said she had to get back to work because she had a deadline.
“My daughter and sister, Denise, asked when the deadline was,” Hammell said. “I said Friday. But it was already Saturday, and my daughter told me I couldn’t go to work because I was sick.”
How sick she was didn’t hit home to Hammell till she saw Dr. Jonathon Lebovitz of Nuvance Health, who was amazed that she was sitting up and talking. However, she was unable to answer three questions: who was president, what the date and what the year were.
“I felt fine after a few days, and just wanted to go home and back to work,” Hammell said. “I was a single mother with two adult children.”
But Hammell’s recovery would take longer. She had to learn to walk again, got to speech therapy for cognitive issues, attend occupational therapy, and cope with shortness of breath. She finished occupational therapy and is still doing PT.
Hammell credits her daughter and sister with helping her recover.
“My sister Denise drove me to my appointments, waited, and came in to listen to the doctors with me. who helped me tremendously,” Hammell said. “My daughter had just turned 22 and was living out of the area. She moved home to be a support system for me, and I couldn’t have done this without her. I had a walker and needed help with household chores and taking care of pets.”
Hammell is also very active in Alcoholics Anonymous.
She is sharing her story because she wants people to know that it’s possible to overcome adversity.
“Like so many women, I suffered from body dysmorphia,” she said. “I had gastric bypass surgery 20 years ago, and got sober a year ago. When I had my stroke, I wasn’t drinking but I was smoking, and now I am re-focusing on diet and moving as much as I can. I quit smoking and a year later, I’m still smoke-free.
“I’ve had to make so many life changes, and since my stroke, I need to think about living a balanced lifestyle. We women don’t take care of ourselves the way we should, and we aren’t made aware of many of the threats to our health. I had no idea something like this could happen.”
Today, Hammell says she feels blessed.
“It could have turned out so much worse,” she said. “I’m so grateful and so blessed. I’m in my 50s, my kids are grown and it’s time for me to live my life. If you look at me, you’d have no idea that I’ve had such a massive stroke. My defects are limited, and I’m doing quite well. I want women to be made aware that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Life isn’t always easy, but if you work hard, you can get where you want to be. I have a lot of life left, and I intend to make the best of it.”
“Jodi’s story is a powerful reminder of the resilience and strength we all carry within us, especially in the face of the unexpected,” said Susan Browning, president of Vassar Brothers Medical Center and western regional president of Nuvance Health, and chair of the 2024 Hudson Valley Go Red for Women Luncheon. “Her journey from surviving a stroke to embracing a positive future is truly inspiring. It’s a testament to how love, support and determination can help us overcome even the most daunting challenges. I am so proud that Jodi will share her experience at this year’s Hudson Valley Go Red for Women Luncheon. Her story is not just one of survival, but of hope and empowerment, which is exactly what this event is all about.”
For information about the 2024 Hudson Valley Go Red for Women Luncheon, visit www.heart.org/GoRedHV.