As a college freshman in 2020, Lauren Treacy was getting her first taste of independence. She was home for the holidays after her first semester at Penn State where she met some of her closest friends, took her initial courses toward her degree, went running every day and was gearing up to rush a sorority.
As a college freshman in 2020, Lauren Treacy was getting her first taste of independence. She was home for the holidays after her first semester at Penn State where she met some of her closest friends, took her initial courses toward her degree, went running every day and was gearing up to rush a sorority.
December 29, 2020, started as a normal day. Lauren and some friends got together to go for a hike. She came home, joined her dad for a walk with their dog, then settled in for dinner. The family had a beach trip planned for the following day.
Early that evening, Lauren was overtaken with a sudden bout of dizziness. She felt the room spinning as she fell over. The lightheadedness didn’t subside. She couldn’t close one side of her mouth or swallow and her face began drooping. Lauren and her dad agreed she needed to go to the hospital as a precaution.
By the time they arrived at the emergency room, Lauren’s speech was slurring; she was unable to form words to describe her symptoms. She needed to be transported in a wheelchair to the exam room, where an MRI revealed the cause of her escalating symptoms: she had a stroke.
The nursing staff had to break it to Lauren’s dad: there would be no beach trip, but a trip to the intensive care unit. At this point, Lauren couldn’t walk, sit up or swallow on her own. She needed help with the most basic functions. It was a stark contrast from just a day before when she was running and hiking. When Lauren’s mom, Christina, arrived, a nurse offered a candid but optimistic outlook: “she’s got a long road ahead of her, but she’ll be okay.”
Later, Lauren learned the cause. She had a tear in one of her vertebral arteries, which led to a clot that blocked blood flow to her brain. This rare type of stroke is more common among young people.
In the ensuing months, medical staff, family and friends rallied around Lauren, who was determined to stay the course on her college and fitness journey. The physical therapists made sessions fun with games and circuits. The doctor agreed to coordinate her rehab schedule around her class schedule. Lauren continued her schooling through Zoom, which was less out of the ordinary at the time because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Lauren was determined to do more than take baby steps; she wanted stride further.
One of Lauren’s longstanding college goals was to join a sorority. Christina brought makeup to the hospital so Lauren could feel her best as she went through the rush process via Zoom. It worked; she was paired with a Greek organization she loved. And she improved her grades that semester and every semester until she graduated, achieving Dean’s List status. But Lauren had another goal in mind.
After years of training that involved starting from scratch, taking her first steps, then lunges, then jogging, then running further and faster, Lauren ran the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon. Through the process, she learned the power of knowing her own body and not letting others impose limitations on her.
As Lauren reflects on the shocking event that prompted this journey, she has some important messages to share.
“I had no idea that at just 18-years-old, I could have a stroke, but I’ve learned that young people are at risk too,” she said. “But being young helped with my recovery.”
Lauren’s willpower also played a role.
“There’s never a day when I forget that I had a stroke,” she said. “Every day, I’ve had to choose a positive outlook. I made the choice to not let this bring me down, to infuse humor into my story and to embrace the recovery journey. It’s shown me what I’m capable of.”
“If we’d known the symptoms of a stroke, we probably could have gotten Lauren care sooner,” added Christina, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the stroke symptoms. Another important lesson: “believe your kid when they tell you something is wrong,” added Christina. Christina had to continue following this very advice when Lauren insisted on running a marathon.
“I was a little worried, but Lauren assured me she knows her body best and would know when to take breaks during training,” she said.
Lauren and Christina have teamed up to support the American Heart Association, serving on the Women’s Board for An Affair of the Heart, an annual event headed into its 78th year that includes a fashion show and luncheon to raise lifesaving funds in support of the mission of the Association and for heart disease and stroke research.
“This event showed me that this work can be fun,” said Lauren. You can dress up and enjoy a fashion show while supporting a great cause.”
Join Lauren, Christina and the Women’s Board of the American Heart Association at An Affair of the Heart Fashion Show and Luncheon, happening on February 20, 2026. Register here.
Learn more about the latest research on stroke and the F.A.S.T. signs of a stroke here.