Meet Samantha

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Samantha was diagnosed with Moyamoya Disease on May 13, 2014, at the age of 19.

Her journey began on May 6, 2014, when the left side of her smile began to droop. She went to the emergency room at Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth, New Hampshire, where doctors initially treated her for Bell’s palsy.

Just a few days later, on May 11, 2014, Samantha began experiencing numbness in her left arm, and her hand stopped functioning properly. She returned to Speare Memorial, where a CT scan was performed around midnight. Following the scan, doctors determined that an MRI was necessary. Because the MRI machine at the small rural hospital was only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Samantha had to wait until May 13 for imaging.

Speare Memorial’s medical team collaborated with the neurology department at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. After reviewing the MRI results, physicians determined that Samantha had suffered a stroke, and her care was transferred to Dartmouth Hitchcock in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Later that same day, she received an official diagnosis of Moyamoya Disease.

On June 10, 2014, Samantha underwent her first brain surgery on the right side of her brain at Dartmouth Hitchcock. The surgery was successful, and she was able to return to Plymouth State University for her junior year. Over the following two years, without any additional strokes or TIAs, Samantha completed college and graduated cum laude from Plymouth State University in June 2016. In August 2016, she began working full-time as an Early Childhood Teacher.

The second phase of Samantha’s Moyamoya journey began on March 4, 2017. While singing in the car, she noticed facial drooping and slurred speech. Recognizing the symptoms, she went to the emergency department at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, where physicians determined that her Moyamoya disease was progressing and consulted her neurologist.

Following additional evaluations in April 2017, Samantha underwent another MRI and was referred to Boston Children’s Hospital for an angiogram. On May 18, 2017, she traveled to Boston Children’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, for the procedure to help determine the timing of her next surgery.

The following day, after returning home to Connecticut, Samantha suffered another stroke. This stroke caused aphasia, affecting her memory, thought process, and ability to find the right words. Unlike her previous experiences, Samantha immediately recognized that she was having a stroke. She spent five days recovering at Hartford Hospital and later began speech therapy to address ongoing language difficulties.

On June 21, 2017, Samantha underwent her second and third brain surgeries at Boston Children’s Hospital, this time involving the left and middle regions of her brain. Later that same day, she experienced three additional strokes, resulting in an 11-day hospital stay. The first stroke affected her speech, the second impaired her tongue movement and swallowing—requiring the placement of a feeding tube—and the effects of the third stroke were undetermined.

From June through September 2017, Samantha participated in intensive speech therapy as she recovered from her surgeries and strokes. By October 2017, her speech had improved enough for her to return to work part-time as an Early Childhood Teacher. By April 2018, she had completed speech therapy and returned to work full-time.

Samantha continues to face life with resilience, determination, and a giant smile. Before her diagnosis, she lived a very active life as a competitive dancer. Since undergoing surgery to improve blood flow to her brain, she has continued to do remarkably well. In 2023, Samantha married, and in 2024, her and her husband welcomed their son. Most importantly, she has remained stroke-free since 2017. Today, Samantha is proud to call herself a Moyamoya Warrior.