Bridging the Recovery Gap: The European Life After Stroke Forum

The Gap in Stroke Recovery

When someone experiences a stroke, the initial medical care is often urgent and life-saving. But once survivors return home, many encounter a new set of challenges that are far less visible.

Rehabilitation services may be limited by insurance coverage. Therapy sessions may be cut short despite continued recovery potential. Families are often left to navigate complex healthcare systems while also adapting to major life changes.

This gap between clinical care and long-term recovery is what inspired the creation of The Stroke Foundation.

Our organization was founded by stroke survivor Maria Gabriela Raso and her family after experiencing these challenges firsthand. What began as a personal journey has grown into a nationwide effort to ensure that stroke survivors and caregivers have access to the support they need.

Turning Lived Experience Into Action

The poster shared at the forum highlights how lived experience can inform meaningful solutions.

Through our programs, we focus on addressing some of the most common barriers survivors face after stroke:

• Financial barriers to rehabilitation
• Limited access to mental health support
• Lack of clear guidance after hospital discharge
• The need for community and shared experiences

Our Stroke Survivor Fund helps survivors continue rehabilitation when cost becomes a barrier. Since launching the program, we have helped families across the United States access critical therapies that restore mobility, speech, and independence.

In 2025 alone, the Foundation has awarded more than $70,000 in therapy grants, helping survivors continue the work of rebuilding their lives after stroke.

We have also expanded mental health support through partnerships that provide counseling services to survivors and caregivers navigating the emotional impact of stroke recovery.

A Global Conversation About Life After Stroke

The European Life After Stroke Forum brings together researchers, clinicians, advocates, and survivors from around the world who are committed to improving recovery outcomes.

Being included in this forum’s poster session allowed The Stroke Foundation’s work to be part of a broader global conversation about what stroke recovery should look like.

While our team was not able to attend in person this year, it is incredibly meaningful to know that the experiences of the survivors and caregivers we support are being shared on an international stage.

Their stories matter. Their challenges matter. And their recovery journeys deserve attention.

Looking Forward

At The Stroke Foundation, our goal is simple: to make stroke recovery more accessible for every survivor.

We believe recovery should not depend on luck, location, or finances. Every person who survives a stroke deserves the opportunity to continue therapy, receive emotional support, and rebuild their life with dignity.

The work presented at the European Life After Stroke Forum reflects the progress we have made, but also the work that still lies ahead.

With the support of our community, donors, partners, and survivors, we will continue pushing forward until life after stroke looks different for families everywhere.

Our hope is simple and urgent: that every survivor has the same chance to recover.