what a horribly frightening thing... people forget just how this kind of thing can happen to the young, too. I work with therapy and service dogs, and see this more often than I want to admit. One of my pooches worked in the stroke-recovery ward of an adult hospital for a few years, and mostly worked with younger folk (under 40). It was probably one of the most eye-opening experiences of my young life, to realize just how things can change in the blink of an eye... and how no, this doesn't just happen to Grannie Fran at the ripe ol' age of 83... My best wishes to your wife. And here's to hoping that Tom's patient sees some improvement over the years.