CHARLESTON, SC (WCBD) – Crossfit athlete Jeffrey Fisher is making great strides after suffering a severe stroke in September 2011 that left him partially paralyzed and unable to speak, read or write.
“I don’t think you thought he’d survive the night,” said his wife, Alice Fisher. “And then he moved his left fingers.”
Jeffrey was diagnosed with aphasia, a brain-damaging disorder that affects a person’s ability to express language.
After doctors learned more about his diagnosis, it was agreed that Jeffrey would not be able to communicate or move the right side of his body for the first few months after his stroke.
“I’ve been working with Aphasia for over 50 years. If that person doesn’t recover in the first 6 months, they won’t come back. You have what you have, ”said speech pathologist Dr. Grace Privette-Farren.
However, Jeffrey and his wife Alice refused to accept the prognosis and began looking for alternative routes while taking the long road to recovery.
2 Your health: fit again for the summer
Over a decade, the couple went through 20 doctors, therapists and coaches.
Slowly but surely, Jeffrey progressed over the years, gradually gaining his ability to speak and move.
“In life you have a choice. You cannot control what happens to you, but you can always act accordingly, ”said Jeffrey. “I wanted to go all the way. I am definitely not giving up. “
In order to continue his progress, Jeffrey wrote to the suggestion of his doctor Dr. Maysa Hannawi on a CrossFit class at Rhapsody Fitness in Charleston.
“My attitude as a coach with people who come to the gym with disabilities is … okay, let’s get fit no matter what you work with,” says Rhapsody co-founder and head coach Alan Shaw.
Rhapsody Fitness is headquartered in Downtown Charleston and is one of the fastest growing gyms in South Carolina. Rhapsody specializes in world-class fitness coaching with 49 courses offered in their 24/7 gyms.
High school graduates who enlisted in the military were honored at the Charleston RiverDogs game
After two years, both Jeffrey and Alice are pillars of the Rhapsody CrossFit community.
“For anyone who is 71 years old to train at CrossFit is almost a miracle,” says Privette-Farren. “But it’s a miracle for him. I don’t think medically, that can be explained. “
Jeffrey draws attention to Aphasia by speaking for and advocating for other stroke survivors and writing his memoirs to be released in fall 2021.
“Everyone said it couldn’t be done. And I did it, “said Jeffrey. “Never never never give up.” Watch Jeffrey’s story from the start … continued on Rhapsody TV.
To learn more about Rhapsody, visit rhapsodyfitness.com.
