Patient Stories
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS )
KEVIN KINCHEN
Pastor Battles ALS and Inspires Others; Kevin, who has a sporadic form of ALS, talks about how you should live every day as if it were the last one. Learn more »
KAREN TOENNIS
From Caregiver to ALS Coordinator; The first experience Karen had with the Houston Methodist MDA-ALS clinic was to bring her husband there for treatment. Now, seven years later, she works as the clinic coordinator. Learn more »
MONIQUE GREEN
ALS Patient Challenges Become Her Own; Monique is a nurse practitioner who works with HIV patients; she sees the challenges these patients face and sometimes compares them to her own — this single mom has ALS. Learn more »
Alzheimer's
Janice Sachs
Janice and John Sachs have been finishing each other’s sentences for nearly 50 years. The progression of Janice’s Alzheimer’s has left John to do most of the talking and drastically changed their family dynamics. Learn more »
Jim Nantz
CBS sportscaster Jim Nantz shares how his father's struggle with Alzheimer's disease inspired him to help others by establishing the Houston Methodist Nantz National Alzheimer Center (NNAC). Learn more >>CONCUSSION
BRITTON CARTWRIGHT
Britton Cartwright started playing soccer when she was just three years old, but the headaches she started experiencing while playing in college finally made her see a concussion specialist. Learn more »
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
John Sinclair
Dr. Richard Simpson talks about deep brain stimulation , a treatment for the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Learn more »
STROKE
NICKI JAMES PETRELLI
Ischemic Stroke Survivor due to Life-Saving tPA Drug; Nicki was attending church when it felt like her leg was going numb, then she could not speak or comprehend anything and her entire right side became numb — she was having a stroke at age 28. Learn more »
CHRIS BOLIO
Young and Active, Patient Survives Stroke that Traveled From His Heart to His Brain; Chris found himself feeling clumsy and uncoordinated, bumping into walls and losing his balance a few days after competing in a triathlon — he had suffered a mild stroke as a result of a hole in his heart. Learn more »
Tokashemia Carter
Tokashemia Carter suffered from patent foramen ovale (PFO) or a hole in the heart. The condition contributed to a stroke. She participated in a Houston Methodist trial for a PFO implant. "I'm back to living my life," says Tokashemia. Learn more>>
JOELLEN YOUNG
Stroke Rehabilitation Brings New Life to a Survivor; JoEllen fell to the floor one day while at work and her co-workers noticed her mouth was sagging; they drove her to Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital, where it was determined she had suffered a stroke. Learn more »
CAROL CANNON
Patient Survives Stroke with Aid of High-Intensity Infrared Light; Carol was at home when her right leg and arm “didn’t feel right”; she was having a life-threatening stroke. Learn more »
Patricia Gilbreath woke one morning and could not move her left side and her speech was slurred. After arriving at Houston Methodist Hospital, she entered a research study for ischemic stroke. Learn more »
Brian Norsworthy was talking with his mother on the phone when she noticed his slurred speech — he was having a stroke. Learn more »