Stroke Recovery: Tom Fruit Credits NeuroRestorative for his Rehabilitation Success
Tom Fruit grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and moved to Augusta in 2000. He had a very fulfilling career as an investigator for a department of defense contractor and attended
the University of Georgia for Criminal Justice. In May of 2022, Tom’s life changed forever after he had a heart attack and a stroke the following week.
Tom was in the hospital for a long period of time. After a few months, he went to a rehabilitation center, where he stayed for a month as an inpatient. He was then referred to NeuroRestorative’s Augusta, GA, outpatient program for the next step in his rehabilitation journey: physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Tom was paralyzed on the left side and was in a wheelchair upon his arrival.
With the team’s help, Tom made huge strides and learned to walk again with the support of a cane when necessary. He also learned how to use his left hand to pick up items and various other life skills and really took advantage of getting exercise. He also enjoyed learning from other individuals within the program and their stories. It helped motivate him to stay strong.
“Tom remained incredibly positive throughout his stroke recovery and medical complications. He was such a ray of light to the other individuals and therapists, and as a fellow UGA fan, we had a lot to discuss in speech therapy,” said Caroline Hamilton, Speech-Language Pathologist. “His wife was also so encouraging and always there to help follow through with the recommendations from the therapists.”
In 2023, Tom graduated from the program. When asked what advice he would give to someone who is going through a similar situation, Tom replied, “I was in such bad shape when I got out of the first rehabilitation center, I was ready to give up. My wife really encouraged me to keep going,” said Tom. “When I got to NeuroRestorative, they kept encouraging me to fight, so I did. Never give up. When you feel like you’re at your worst – there’s hope.”
Tom enjoys spending time with his family, which includes six children. He has big plans and hopes to spend time with his wife, thrift-stopping, a hobby they enjoy together. Tom is still in touch with the NeuroRestorative team. We are lucky to be a part of Tom’s journey to recovery.