Neurology Patient Stories

On a summer evening in July 2018, Dan Boswell was hit by a stroke. His wife's quick action to summon emergency help likely saved his life. Today, with the help of his Mayo Clinic team, Dan is doing all he can to recover from the stroke and meet his goal of returning to work.

Joyce Gabbert came to Mayo Clinic for treatment of a rare form of head and neck cancer. But she soon learned that wasn't the only cancer diagnosis she was facing. At that point, a coordinated care team came together to create a treatment plan that put Joyce on the path to becoming cancer-free.

Rich Bradley was about to travel to Europe to learn more about his late uncle's heroism during World War II when he suddenly faced a battle of his own — a severe form of Guillain-Barre syndrome that required specialized care at Mayo Clinic.

Diagnosed with a brain tumor, Marrissa Janssen was scared. Her biggest fear was that doctors wouldn't be able to get rid of the entire mass. But after consulting with experts at Mayo Clinic, Marrissa's fear turned to hope. Now, after surgery and proton beam therapy, the tumor is gone.

For Marisa Bella, living with a rare neurological condition meant managing sustained pain and an unnatural head position, as well as dealing with unwanted reactions from strangers. For years Marisa navigated life while suffering the physical, mental and emotional effects of her illness. That all changed in 2018 when a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon helped her get her life back.

Last summer, Scott Walling was in excruciating pain, and he could barely walk. Today he's pain-free and enjoying his favorite hobbies again, thanks to a new procedure offered by Mayo Clinic's Department of Neurosurgery.

It took some time to discover the source of the troubling symptoms that plagued Dorothy Sorlie. But once she was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, neurosurgery fixed the problem and allowed Dorothy to return to the activities she loves.

More than a decade after nerve transfer surgery restored mobility to his right shoulder, Peter Rechenberg is not only able to do Olympic lifts, he's using his experience at Mayo Clinic to bring healing to others.

For years, artist Jennifer Hunter harbored an intense fear of surgery and lived with chronic pain. When the pain became debilitating, she decided to find a way to use her art to manage her anxiety.

After a trip overseas, Hugo de Jager was gripped by fatigue, abdominal pain and severe headaches. The culprit was cerebral malaria. Although the diagnosis is uncommon, and the condition life-threatening, experts at Mayo Clinic worked together to help Hugo achieve a remarkable recovery.

Michelle Griffis battled debilitating headaches for more than a year. But after several neurosurgeries and care from a multidisciplinary team at Mayo Clinic, she's made a full recovery. Now Michelle and her son are back to exploring their world together. 

Nancy Hannafin suffered from terrible pain on one side of her face for several years. Finally, a visit to her optometrist led to a breakthrough. Nerve pain was causing the problem, and brain surgery at Mayo Clinic fixed it.