From Stroke to Service: Lara’s Unlikely Recovery Journey

Internal Carotid Artery Dissection – How Lara Found Purpose After Stroke

 

A family ski day. A split-second movement. And life as she knew it would never be the same.

Lara Kaufman was a 41-year-old mother of three and a former chartered accountant living a full, busy life. On a ski hill just outside Toronto, she swung her arm with a ski pole to regain balance, and accidentally struck her neck with enough force to cause an internal carotid artery dissection.

It wasn’t long before she collapsed at the top of the hill, right eye blurry, dizzy, and disoriented. Paramedics initially didn’t recognize her symptoms as stroke. But by the time Lara reached a hospital that could scan her brain, she had suffered a massive ischemic stroke. She would soon need a craniotomy to relieve swelling. Her recovery had just begun.

“I was completely paralyzed on the left side of my body. My brain didn’t even recognize the left side existed.”

From ICU to Insight

For weeks, Lara couldn’t walk, go to the bathroom on her own, or sit up without falling over. The left side of her body didn’t respond. Her midline had shifted. She couldn’t even tolerate having her photo taken because her face had swollen shut after surgery.

But through months of rehab, she began to reclaim movement. “I felt like recovery was slow. But looking back now, 15 years later, it was actually pretty fast.”

“I’ve learned to do most things with one hand. I’ve got use of my right side, and I walk up to 6 kilometers. I’m independent again.”

Cryoneurolysis: A Game-Changing Treatment

For years, Lara battled painful post-stroke spasticity. Botox injections offered minimal relief. But in 2023, she traveled to Victoria, BC to undergo cryoneurolysis a novel treatment developed by Dr. Paul Winston.

This technique involves inserting a -88°C needle into spastic muscles to temporarily disrupt the nerve signal, giving stroke survivors a 6 to 9-month window to rehabilitate without stiffness. The results for Lara were immediate.

“After 14 years of no movement in my left arm, I can now do a bicep curl. That was impossible before.”

Redefining Success After Stroke

In the early days, Lara thought she’d be “back to normal” in two years. But normal changed.

She began volunteering with March of Dimes Canada, mentoring stroke survivors in rehab and later co-facilitating support groups. Every February 13th, the anniversary of her stroke, her family buys a cake and chooses one word to reflect her journey that year. “Accomplishment.” “Gratitude.” “Purpose.”

“If I could be successful in my recovery, I believed others could too. That’s why I keep sharing.”

Stroke Recovery That Keeps Evolving

Lara’s story isn’t one of overnight transformation — it’s one of dedication, community, and purpose.

Even 15 years post-stroke, she continues daily rehab, refuses to give up on using her left arm, and serves as an example of post-traumatic growth. Her recovery didn’t stop at walking again. It evolved into mentoring, speaking, and giving others hope.

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