Stroke Across America: Trauma, Adaptation, Purpose
Ride alongside Debra Meyerson – Stanford professor, athlete, mother, and stroke survivor with aphasia – on Stroke Across America. On this 100-day, coast-to-coast bike adventure, Debra builds meaningful connections between survivors of stroke and aphasia, raises issues in the medical system faced by her community, and proves first hand that life after a stroke can still be full of purpose, joy, and perseverance.
About the Creator:
Debra Meyerson is an author, advocate, and a professor at Stanford University Graduate School of Education. Following her severe stroke in 2010, Debra wrote Identity Theft: Rediscovering Ourselves after Stroke (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2019); second edition 2025). Writing Identity Theft began as a critical part of her personal journey to rebuild her own life outside mainstream academia. It became the foundation for maintaining meaning and purpose in her life despite her ongoing disabilities – helping other stroke survivors and those closest to them rebuild their identities after a trauma like stroke, and navigate the critical and often overlooked emotional journey in recovery. With her husband, Steve Zuckerman, she co-founded Stroke Onward to expand and accelerate that work. In addition to her role on the board, Debra’s significant volunteer commitment to Stroke Onward focuses on speaking engagements, deepening the content built into their work, and supporting related research projects.
