Exactly one month ago, I was in Africa building local, real-time private payments when I got the call: my dad in the US had a 𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗵𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲. I flew home immediately. After 4 years & 30 countries on the road, I did not know if I would make it in time, but I promised myself that if he survived, I would stay, care for him, and build my way out of it. After a month living between the hospital and inpatient rehab, I am grateful to say he is close to mostly recovered, though full recovery will take time. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲. Stroke is one of the largest unmet health challenges in the world. Every year, it causes approximately 7 million deaths, making it the world's second-leading cause of death (in China #1) and one of the leading causes of long-term disability. Stroke can upend nearly everything: thinking, speaking, movement, eating, work, and relationships. It can affect speech, swallowing, mobility, memory, mood, vision, and independence simultaneously. For the ~𝟵𝟰 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲, (12 million yearly new strokes), recovery is not a moment. It is a long journey of rebuilding daily life, and it remains deeply underserved by modern technology .I also learned how much of recovery happens outside the hospital. Therapy becomes homework. Paperwork becomes a second job. Progress depends on advocacy. Not everyone has someone who can be there 24/7 to coordinate care, manage insurance, catch errors, and build the custom workarounds that keep things moving.I watched the gaps firsthand: doctors unsure of stroke subtype, nurses losing context between shifts, meals not matching swallowing needs, meds going missing, and no clear “transition home” toolkit. This was in one of the nicest parts of the world, but it is even more devastating in places with fewer resources, where a lack of resources directly leads to higher death rates.I am deeply grateful for my dad’s recovery. I am thankful for the ability to use software to speed up his recovery & for the clarity this has given me to continue this journey, not only for my family, but for all of your families as well. Today, I am proud to announce the formation of stroke.technology (@stroke_tech): a 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀. In the upcoming months, our team is constantly launching, so sign up for our waitlists. If you have a loved one impacted by stroke, I am here to help.