Lara Schoeffler
The Stroke Patient

AwardRed Ribbon

SchoolTrinity High School

CityGarfield Heights, Ohio

TeacherMary Anne Kovacs

InternMatthew Nied

GenreShort Story

Writer's Statement

My story focuses on an elderly woman, Ellen, who has just suffered a stroke. She must learn to allow herself to be cared for by her concerned family. Her son Michael is worried about her but does not allow it to show; he stays strong in an attempt to support his mother. My story stems from Matthew Nied’s research project regarding strokes. In the story, Michael mentions that he does not know the symptoms of a stroke. Matthew’s project dealt with education about stroke symptoms; I tried to incorporate this idea into my work.