Finding His Voice Again

In 2009, Bill Forester suffered a massive stroke on the left side of his brain. He woke up that morning noticing a slight headache, a rarity for Bill. Ironically, Bill had a doctor's appointment with his general practitioner that day, but his doctor told him not to worry and that he'd be fine.

Eight hours later, Bill was standing in his bedroom when the room began to spin. Unable to cry out for help, he knocked over all the items on his dresser to get his daughter's attention downstairs.

At 51 years old, Bill was a victim of a major stroke that paralyzed the entire right side of his body. Bill was rushed to Cleveland Clinic Lakewood, where it was determined that the stroke had been caused by a hole in his carotid artery, limiting blood flow to his brain.

After spending 3 days in a coma and weeks of treatment, five stents were placed within Bill's left carotid artery from the base of his neck up to the cranial portion of his skull. Doctors told Bill and his wife Lori that he might never be able to speak or walk again.

Incredibly, Bill regained movement in his right leg through intense occupational and physical therapy. Each day he would run 10 miles from his home in Bay Village to therapy at Lakewood in order to help strengthen his muscles.

"As part of my therapy, I started a serious running regime, something I had done very little of before the stroke," says Bill. "Lakewood Hospital Foundation’s Ambulance Chase race was the first 5K I ran... Cindy Clark, my occupational therapist, ran with me. From then on, I have been hooked on running. Cindy, too!"

Cleveland Clinic and Lakewood Hospital Foundation's Ambulance Chase 5K has been a highly-anticipated community event in Lakewood for over fifteen years. In 2011, Bill and Lori started the Forester Fund in conjunction with Lakewood Hospital Foundation to help other stroke and brain trauma victims.

"I see the light at the end of the tunnel, because I was in the tunnel. It is a cold, lonely and long tunnel. No matter how many people you have in your corner supporting and loving you, it’s still all up to you. I beat the odds and others can do it too."

However, Bill was still having trouble speaking. Suffering from aphasia, he felt trapped, knowing what he wanted to say, but unable to form the words. This was particularly frustrating because Bill had made a living speaking professionally as an adjunct professor, realtor, and public speaker. During speech therapy sessions Bill was forced to relearn the alphabet and it took nearly a year before he was able to simply ask for a glass of water.

Things changed significantly though when Bill began working with Lisa Gallagher, a certified music therapist at Cleveland Clinic's Arts & Medicine Institute, who uses music to retrain the brain. "Language is on the left, music is on the right," Lisa explains. "So music can be used to help retrain the left side of the brain."

Bill and Lisa worked to improve his speech and fine motor skills, through singing and playing musical instruments like the keyboard and guitar.

"His voice just sounded more natural when he was talking. It just sounded like Bill again," says his wife Lori.

Music therapy can also a viable option for patients who suffer from depression, anxiety, pain, autism and cognitive disabilities, regardless of whether they are musically-inclined.

As for Bill, he has now surpassed everyone's expectations, running marathons and teaching again.

"I see the light at the end of the tunnel, because I was in the tunnel. It is a cold, lonely and long tunnel," says Bill. "No matter how many people you have in your corner supporting and loving you, it’s still all up to you. I beat the odds and others can do it too."