Samoa RPCV Les Bissell suffered his stroke two years ago when he was just 37 years old. Bissell is now sailing around the world to give hope to other stroke victims who are still trying to cope with their new lives
Stroke Survivor Begins Around-The-World Trip
Man Hopes To Inspire Others
POSTED: 5:15 pm EDT April 20, 2004
UPDATED: 9:49 pm EDT April 20, 2004
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- A man who suffered a stroke that left him unable to walk or talk planed to set sail on a voyage around the world starting Tuesday in Annapolis.
Les Bissell (pictured, left) suffered his stroke two years ago when he was just 37 years old. Bissell is now sailing around the world to give hope to other stroke victims who are still trying to cope with their new lives.
Bissell is drawn to adventure. He once biked across the United States. He also went to Samoa with the Peace Corps and he sailed around the South Pacific.
However, two years ago he found himself on a frightening journey when a damaged carotid artery shut off blood to his brain and he was suddenly on the floor unable to move.
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Man To Sail Around World
"I didn't know my name. I couldn't talk. I couldn't do anything," Bissell said.
Simply cutting off the blood supply can trigger a landslide in the brain.
"Everything that was serviced by that blood flow is just wiped out," explained Dr. Carla Lambert
For the next year, Bissell worked to regain all that was lost.
Today, Bissell feels like he's operating at 98 percent. A slight speech impediment is the stroke's only lingering clue.
He is so relieved to be back that he decided to sail around the world to inspire those who are still struggling.
"(I want) to show people who've had a stroke to hang in there and just do the best you can because you can beat it," Bissell said.
The National Stroke Association says most people could avoid strokes if they were educated about them.
A quarter of a million people suffer strokes each year. One third of them are under age of 65, so it's not just an elderly issue.
However, it is becoming a bigger issue for women.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in women. In fact, more women die from strokes then men.
Molly Block is a stroke survivor who works to promote women's health for the state of Maryland. She said women must get checkups to prevent stroke.
"They're worried about breast cancer, which they should be, but many more women die of stroke than breast cancer," Block said.
Bissell and his friend, Brian Murphy, plan to spend three years spreading the word as they circumnavigate the globe.
You can follow Bissell's voyage online at VoyageOfHope.org.
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