Sarah Levis:
CLASS OF 1996
Highlands Secondary High SchoolClass of 1996
Haliburton, ON
Forest Hill Elementary SchoolClass of 1988
Fredericton, NB
Sarah's Story
Life
Hmm...how to sum up the last ten years?
After graduating from HHSS, I went to Queen's University. I didn't much like it (which isn't to say it's not a good school...it just wasn't the right school for me), but I stuck it out for three years on campus, and enrolled in the distance education program to finish up my B.A. Psychology in 2001.
By the point I was facing some serious health challenges. In 1999, I had a small hemorrhagic stroke that alerted my doctors to the presence of a birth abnormality called an arteriovenous malformation. AVM involves a tangling of the veins and arteries in a small area of the body (usually the brain). As additional, potentially more strokes were likely in my case, I chose to have the AVM treated through brain surgery. The surgery (eventually) got rid of the AVM, but it also caused a second, larger stroke that all but wiped out my left side.
I stayed in a Toronto hospital for 5 weeks to stabilize my condition, and then spent six months in physical rehabilitation hospitals. I now have 80-85% of my mobility ...Expand for more
back, although I still have very little use of my left hand. I also have some scar tissue that causes seizures, so I'm unable to drive. But I consider myself very lucky - many AVM stories end far worse than mine did. With the help of my family, friends, doctors, and medical support professionals, I have carved out a new life for myself that I very much enjoy. After a further period of recovery and physiotherapy, I was able to attend Loyalist College (Belleville) and obtain my Developmental Services Worker diploma. I now live in Haliburton, in my owb apartment, with my cat. I work at Community Living Haliburton County in one of their programs for teens, and I do some supply work as an Educational Assistant in the local skills. I have also written a book about my stroke and recovery experience, "Run, Run Because You Can" (Palabras Press, Calgary), that will be released some time this year.
I frequently see people from my years at Hal High around Haliburton, and that's always a pleasure. It's great catcing up with people, so feel free to contact me.
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