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STORY
Robert A. Pritchard Stroke and health Initiative’s Story:
Robert Pritchard had always been a clinically healthy athlete but on July 9th, 2012, his life would forever be changed. At age 22 and just two months after receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from The University of Central Florida, Robert was stricken with a relatively rare condition known as Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (CVST). CVST occurs when a blood clot forms in the brain’s venous sinuses, which prevents blood from draining out of the brain. Blood cells may break and leak blood into the brain tissue, forming a hemorrhage and causing a stroke.
Robert was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta for two and a half weeks. He was put into a medically induced coma and breathed through a tracheotomy tube. To relieve pressure from his brain, half of his skull was removed and placed in his abdomen for eight months to keep the tissue alive.
In February of 2013, Robert’s skull was replaced. He received world-class rehabilitation treatment from the Shepherd Center in Atlanta and progressed from a wheelchair to a walker and cane and is now able to walk without any assistance.
Robert was able to take online classes and returned to the University of Central Florida in August of 2013 to complete his Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 2015.
Robert also received an abundance of support from the Scott Coppersmith Stroke Awareness Foundation, which is an organization dedicated to raising stroke awareness and helping others. With gratitude in his heart, it is now Robert’s turn to pay it forward and lend a hand to others.