Overland Park, Kansas.
Four days after expecting their second child — and first daughter — high school sweethearts Lainie and Andrew Linafelter thought they were getting ready for some quality time at home.
Until Lainie began to suffer from the worst headaches she’d ever had.
Lainie described the headache as agony radiating from the back of her skull to her ears.
When I looked up, I saw a look on her face that indicated something was wrong; this was not a regular headache,” Andrew stated.
In early October, Andrew took Lainie to the emergency room, where the pair discovered she had a stroke caused by a subarachnoid hemorrhage.
“That kind of strikes you in the face, and you’re like, what? “How does that happen?” Andrew asked.
The couple intended to stay in the hospital for a week. Initially, Lainie was recuperating quickly. After 30 hours by his wife’s side, physicians advised Andrew to go home and relax.
He hadn’t been home for 15 minutes when physicians called again to inform him that Lainie had suffered a second stroke.
“That just kind of just hits you like a ton of bricks like this is a nightmare how is this happening,” Andrew went on to say.
Andrew stayed by her side that night, praying for her recovery despite the fact that they had a week-old daughter and a three-year-old son at home.
Lainie steadily improved throughout her 17-day stay in the hospital, and she first remembers waking up on her birthday.
“That was kind of special because I woke up and people were coming and bringing me gifts,” she added.
When it was time for Lainie to go to a stroke rehabilitation facility, there was little doubt: the pair would go to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln.
Lainie was in a wheelchair and had no movement on her right side at the time of her recovery, but the Madonna care team remained dedicated.
Lainie’s care team tailored her recuperation to help her adjust to her new baby girl.
Lainie underwent six weeks of inpatient therapy and eight weeks of outpatient day therapy.
Doctors describe her recovery as extraordinary.
“To go from that to walking out six weeks later, and then a couple of weeks later, you’re back at day therapy doing running and back and forth exercises, it’s incredible,” Andrew told Lainie.
Lainie left Madonna with little post-stroke symptoms; she was able to walk, talk, and was eager to return home with her family.
“Going back and seeing on the people you love and being able to be at home it’s just really, really special,” she remarked.
Lainie works as a pediatric pharmacist and is excited to return later this month. She adds that being on the other side of care following this event has given her a fresh perspective.
Lainie and Andrew stated that this trip has deepened their bond with one another as well as their faith. They encourage those going through similar experiences to rely on their faith and their loved ones.
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