What a tragic event. It is so shocking when this happens to anyone, let alone one so young. Its also hard to watch it happen, standing by, knowing what is going on but being totally powerless to stop it. Awful. Thoughts go out to the family and of course to you Tom. I also work as a HCSW for an agency, and I had looked after a 54 year old man who had been admitted with a stroke. My first placement as a student nurse was on a stroke rehab unit. I had heard tales of how stroke rehab was really negative and hard work, so it was with some trepidation I walked through those doors. When I started this placement, low and behold, this guy that I had previously cared for was there. The stroke had left him with a dense hemiparesis on his right hand side, and was unable to walk at all. This, understandably distressed him considerably as he had been previously fit and well. During the course of my placement, I watched him go through a rollercoaster of emotions, and struggles to regain independance, and was fortunate enough to be able to support him through this. He was discharged from the unit during my last week of placement 8 weeks later. He walked out using a special tripod in his right hand. He had regained the use of his right leg and some mobility in his right hand. I found this placement, and indeed the whole notion of stroke rehab a positive and uplifting experience, and it taught me so much about so many different things. I guess I am just echoing other bloggers comments that stroke is devastating and its hard to be positive, but sometimes, people do recover most of their previous quality of life, and it makes me proud that I am able to do my bit to help them with that.