Rick Davis

I'm a 65 year old male, a former U.S. Air Force Pilot, living in rural Ten Mile, TN near Knoxville.

I had a massive, right brain stroke in 2003 that caused virtually total paralysis in the entire left side of my body.

In early 2005, I walked a half marathon for charity with my sons and friends, raising over $12,000 for the American Stroke Association.

In the 7 years since the stroke, I've been in therapy most of the time. During this 7 years, I have written a book about the experience of going from a wheelchair to a marathon. My recovery is STILL continuing.

The book is called, "Between Hope and Despair - Living after a Stroke". Its purpose is to encourage as many of the 700,000 stroke patients each year in the U.S. as possible with their own recoveries.

I'd like to tell my story to make stroke patients and their families aware of the book and to encourage them in their recovery. I'm convinced that "Recovery only stops if you stop trying to recover"

My initial treatment was at a hospital in Chattanooga, where I'm sure they saved my life. I've been in rehabilitation, both in-patient and out-patient, for over 6 years, and am still working as an airplane salesman, but no longer flying. I'd welcome any opportunity to talk about stroke, stroke recovery and living after a stroke.