ORLANDO, Fla. – For these 40 stroke survivors, every day is a new challenge.
"I couldn't even fill out the forms. I started to cry in my office. I was so weak because I was starting to feel useless," said stroke survivor Carol Johnson Smith.
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Smith was at bible study when her stroke hit, leaving her in a wheelchair. She was only 31. And Deidra Lee was in her early thirties when she suffered a stroke watching TV.
"I got a headache and went to the bathroom, threw up, couldn't see," Lee said.
For stroke survivors, getting back to the life they once had can seem impossible.
"It takes more than medicine," said Smith.
After a blood clot lodged in her brain stem at the age of 31, Valerie Greene was told she would never walk or talk again. But after being inspired by others, she founded the Bcenter, where stroke survivors learn about new treatments and therapies, and most importantly, attend a group called the Hive of Hope.
"It's instant love. They've fallen into the same pot hole you fell into on the road, and you want to reach and grab a hand," said Greene.
Myrna Santos never misses since joining the group.
"Because I am able to see people with similar situations as mine or worse, it has given me hope, given me the opportunity to see that I will be able to recover," she said.
This month's session is on energy medicine, where alternative techniques are used to heal stroke survivors' bodies.
"99% of our problems are between our ears. That's where we go beyond and we can really help someone recover from within," Greene said.
According to the National Stroke Association, 80% of strokes can be prevented by checking for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes and then treating them. You can also change your habits including stopping smoking, limiting alcohol and exercising regularly.