Meet Andy, Life After Stroke

“There is life after stroke.”

That’s Andy Murphy’s message to patients who have found themselves at the precipice of a lengthy rehabilitation journey after experiencing a stroke. It’s a lesson he learned firsthand after his own stroke in 2021. With the support of his Spaulding Rehabilitation care team and his dedication to his therapy, Andy has proven that message to be true.

Andy was out to dinner with his wife and felt normal before running a temperature the next day. After receiving negative COVID-19 and flu tests, he assumed he had a cold. He was wrong. Shortly after the tests, he passed out due to a bacterial infection in the artificial heart valves he received in a past surgery. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and then airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital for emergency surgery. In addition to the unexpected surgery, Andy experienced a stroke that was connected to the infection.

The series of events came as a total surprise to Andy and his wife. He recalls waking up in a hospital bed after the surgery having no idea where he was. He would spend 10 weeks in a nearby hospital before transferring to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Boston for inpatient rehabilitation.

Andy arrived at Spaulding unable to walk, and he began a rigorous rehabilitation program to address the weakness in his right side from the stroke. “I would have rather been in bed,” Andy admitted. “But the Spaulding team put me to work.” He credits his team’s encouragement and belief in him as being critical to his progress.

Along with traditional physical and occupational therapy exercises, Andy was given practical challenges to prepare him for life when he returned home. He recalls being able to get back to one of his favorite hobbies, cooking, as part of his therapy while at Spaulding. His prowess as a chef impressed his care team when he made one of his favorite dishes, chicken piccata, from a wheelchair.

After two months of inpatient care at Spaulding, Andy returned home. He continued to receive outpatient care from Spaulding and at-home care through Mass General Brigham Home Care that helped him progress from a wheelchair, to walker, to cane, and eventually to walking on his own again.

The care he’s received has gotten him back to a place that he never imagined would be possible after his stroke. He’s able to spend cherished time on the water with his wife and two sons on their favorite lake in Maine. He’s back working for the public relations agency that he started with two business partners. He relearned how to play golf and says with a smile that “I’ve lost some power, but my accuracy has been better than ever since the stroke.”

Perhaps his favorite moment of all is the trip he recently took to Ireland with his wife. It was a major milestone in his recovery, as he believed that traveling internationally was not in the cards for him. “I was in Spaulding two and a half years ago, pretty much bed-bound with a stroke. This trip was my official ‘yahoo’ for stroke recovery, and I owe it to you guys,” Andy wrote to his care team accompanying a photo he shared from the trip.

Andy faced a long road to recovery, overcoming obstacles he once thought insurmountable. This journey has instilled in him a newfound sense of empathy for others facing similar challenges. As a thank you to Spaulding, he chose to give back with a donation, becoming a member of Spaulding’s Pillars of Strength leadership giving society and making remarkable recoveries like his possible for other patients through his generosity. With a second chance at life, Andy is determined to seize the day and live fully after his stroke.