13th anniversary of my stroke

Today, December 3rd, I celebrate my 13th anniversary of my catastrophic massive stroke due to a car accident brought on by a texting addict who was distracted and plowed her car into my minivan. Texting while driving is the equivalent of being drunk…

The brain surgeon told my family that, “Alon is a vegetable”.
I awoke from a 6-day long coma.

The doctor said to me, “You can’t walk, again.”
“Watch me!” I thought from my wheelchair.

And, all these years later, I walk, again. I even dance, horseback ride, hike, crawl like a baby, etc.

The speech therapist said to me, “You are going to be mute….”
“Watch me!” I practiced OUT LOUD big complicated words for six years. 

I can, now, properly format grammatic sentence structures to a stranger on the phone.

The physical therapist said, “Alon, you can forget the right-side of your body. Let’s only focus on your normal left side.”
“Watch me!” My AlonTree team devised several prototypes & products. We produced the AlonTwig (elbow brace), AlonGlove (so, comfortable & versatile to pick up & release objects with the customers’ gross muscles & fine muscles) & the AlonSeed (game for stroke recovery helps you improve memory and motor skills) as well as dozens of other prototypes.

I live alone. I shop for myself. I date. I drive, by myself, on road trips & errands. I lecture audiences. I discuss concepts & strategies with my employees. 

My new birthday is December 3rd of 2008. 

In Judaism, which I am a member, 13 signifies the age at which a boy matures and becomes a Bar Mitzvah. A full member of our Jewish ethnoreligious & nation.

L’Chaim!