News

Actions

CT man makes incredible strides after suffering stroke

Posted at 9:02 AM, Jun 24, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-24 11:02:42-04

Click here for updates on this story

    WALLINGFORD, CT (WFSB) — A Connecticut man is making incredible strides after suffering a stroke on Easter Sunday.

Back in April, 60-year-old Richard Oster suffered a stroke with two blood clots and an aneurysm on the left side of his brain, impacting his mobility.

“I didn’t have any feelings in my hands, my legs and my speech was in and out,” said Oster, who is from Trumbull.

Five weeks ago, he had a long way to go, and doctors called his condition complicated.

“He came here very impaired with lots of weakness in the right side of his body,” said Dr. Alyse Sicklick, medical director of Inpatient Rehabilitation at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare.

Day-by-day, Oster kept going and hitting his milestones at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare in Wallingford.

“Lift 5 pounds, I’d lift 7. If I had to walk 8 steps, I did 10,” Oster said.

The dad and grandfather to now three little ones, had two specific goals in mind: “To be able to walk his daughter down the aisle. She’s getting married this summer, as well as hold his new grandchild, who was about to be born,” Siclick said.

“It’s been unbelievable to watch his progress from when he first got here to now seeing him just walk on his own,” said Kaitlyn Rudolf, inpatient physical therapist at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare.

Oster said he never wanted to give up on what’s important, “and just family, that I didn’t want to leave behind.”

On Tuesday, he’ll make one of his biggest strides of all, and head home.

“Just enjoy everything that you do. Don’t sweat the little things,” Oster said.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.