4-time stroke survivor sets pace to D.C.

AURORA, Ind. - Getting out and taking his first steps every morning before the sun awakens enables Mycle Brandy to keep moving.

The 59-year-old broke his ankle in the mid-’90s while working a construction job. When he fell, his head hit the ground, "My brain actually slammed against my skull and started to bleed."

The injury resulted in him having four strokes. During recovery, Brandy started researching the cause of strokes. He learned that stroke victims typically have a sedentary lifestyle.

On Feb. 14, the Newport Beach, Calif., man took a hike towards the Nation’s Capital. Along his journey he hopes to spread the word about staying active in order to keep healthy, "You need to do something other than sitting in front of the TV all the time."

Lori Fovel is with the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Heart Association, "That's one of our main messages that we try to get out at the American Heart Association: to keep moving, keep walking," said Fovel. "It's a great way to lower cholesterol, lower your risk for heart disease and stroke."

Along Brandy's journey, he often stops at local hospitals to visit with stroke patients to let them know they can recover. He will visit Drake Center at 10am on Friday.
According to a news release: stroke experts at Drake Center, if you have any of the following warning signs for stroke, call 911 immediately: The best way to treat a stroke is for people to learn what to recognize using FAST:

F – facial numbness or weakness, especially on one side
A – arm numbness or weakness, especially on one side
S – slurred speech or difficulty speaking
T – time to call 911

As for Brandy, he wants everyone to start walking, "You're not expected to walk across America," he explained. "What everyone needs to do is they need to walk across their piece of America."

You can follow Brandy along his walk on Facebook and read more about his experience with stroke at his website.

When Brandy gets to Washington D.C. he will have walked nearly 3,000 miles.