Dave and Brenda Griffin back home in Dunedin. Photo by Linda Robertson.
A stroke doesn't have to mean the end of everything Stroke survivor Dave Griffin and his wife Brenda travelled to Los Angeles for treatment that has given his rehabilitation a big boost. Reporter Eileen Goodwin spoke to the couple recently.
A Dunedin man thought to be the first New Zealander to undergo innovative stroke treatment in the United States believes it has improved his speech and walking, while reducing fatigue and pain.
Dave Griffin (55) and wife Brenda went to Los Angeles for a procedure using etanercept, returning last month. It was not a cure, but had improved his muscle flexibility, and he was now able to walk without dragging his right foot.
''This man hasn't stopped smiling since we got back,'' Mrs Griffin said.
The trip home was much easier than the trip there because of Mr Griffin's improved mobility.
He had the stroke in December 2012, and the couple just wish he had had the treatment sooner.
Mrs Griffin said the treatment put her husband in a good position for further rehabilitation.
She believed Mr Griffin was the first New Zealander to receive etanercept for stroke.
She had been determined the stroke would not spell the end of the life they had built together, and Mr Griffin has undertaken a rigorous rehabilitation schedule.
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Rising to the challenge of a stroke