A woman survived a stroke and left the hospital dancing in the United States. The case took place in Montana. The Northern Cheyenne woman was struck down by the disease and lost her ability to walk and talk.
However, after just a few weeks of rehabilitation, she left the hospital in a very unique way: celebrating her recovery and honoring her heritage.
“I’m so grateful that it wasn’t a different outcome. They’re here to hug me instead of giving me condolences, and I’m happy to be alive and to be here with them,” says Clara Ann White Crane, who managed to survive after days of treatment and rehabilitation.
On May 29, White Crane began experiencing symptoms of a stroke while working as a caregiver. “I was feeling tingling all over my body. And one of the residents came out and, while I was there, he said, Clara, you don’t look well. Then I started sweating a lot.”
She later went to Crow Northern Cheyenne Hospital to see what was happening and passed out in the bathroom. “They rushed me to the MRI to make sure I didn’t have a brain hemorrhage. And they were checking my blood pressure, which was very high.”
White Crane was later transported by helicopter to St. Vincent Hospital in Billings, where she woke up in the emergency room. “When I woke up, I couldn’t feel the right side of my body.”
The stroke left her paralyzed — unable to walk or talk. “That was the first time I felt completely powerless.”
Finally, she chose to undergo rehab at Montana Rehabilitation Hospital in Billings, with a clear goal in mind…
“Most people think, ‘I hope I can do this’ or ‘I want to be able to do this,’ but Clara thinks, ‘I’m going to walk, I’m going to dance’. She was determined. I mean, it immediately seemed to us that she would be a phenomenal patient,” he says. Sammi Jorgensen, nurse at Montana Rehabilitation Hospital.
White Crane says there were days when she wanted to give up, but thanks to her family and culture, she remained firm and determined. “My husband said, ‘You’re going to get better, you’re going to walk,’ and he really encouraged me. So I said, ‘Okay, okay, I’ll do my best,’ and he said, ‘We’re not called fighting Cheyennes for nothing.’
After two weeks of relearning how to walk and talk in rehab, Whitecrane was finally able to get around independently and was ready to start practicing her movements.
“Our dances and our songs have helped me become who I am; they are healing.” White Crane occupational therapist Andrea Dougherty said it was emotionally impactful to see such a quick recovery.
“There are no words to describe how incredible this feels to me as a therapist. It is an enormous honor and privilege to have played a role in his recovery,” reported Andrea Dougherty, occupational therapist at Montana Rehabilitation Hospital.
“You can never take life for granted. It gives me goosebumps. I told everyone this is my goal. I’m going to dance. And here it is. It’s happening, you know? I’m just going to dance. But slowly,” says Clara.
