Finding his voice and a new path forward
After suffering two strokes at the age of 25,
Sandro François got back on his feet—
morally and physically.
On May 17, 2010, my life was turned upside down. This was the day I had my first stroke, followed by a second one barely a month later. I was 25 years old and my dream was to become a professional wrestler. And then, in a heartbeat, I learned that I would never walk again.
My path toward rebuilding my life started with my stay at the Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal, from October to December 2010. This is when I understood that I would have to work very hard to relearn things as simple as talking, reading and getting from place to place. This all became possible thanks to a devoted team of professionals: a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, a nutritionist, a speech therapist, a social worker and a specialized educator.
At first, I avoided talking to people because I was so embarrassed by my difficulty speaking.