Family, Rehab Team Support Helps Joe Become Stroke Survivor

On March 29, 2024, Joe Crestuk had just finished working out at the gym and had returned back home. Joe and his wife Beckie lived in Ontario, Wayne County where they had raised two daughters, Hannah & Anabel.

Joe and Beckie met in Fairport back when they were in middle school. They reconnected years later and got married in 2005. Joe founded a digital marketing agency, webSURGE, and Beckie has worked alongside Joe since the very beginning.

The family works together, travels together, plays music together. When you spend that much time with someone, you know when something is no big deal and when something is serious.

So when Joe, 50, walked in the door and told Beckie about pain running from his ear down to his neck, she suggested they call the doctor to get it checked out. Joe went a few hours telling Beckie he was fine and probably just pulled a muscle until she told him, "I'm either taking you to the doctor or urgent care."

At that point Joe's color started to change. That’s when Joe put his arm around her, pulled her close, looked up at her, and tried to say something. But the words only came out as garbled sounds.

“I called 911 and said, ‘I think my husband is having a stroke. I need an ambulance ASAP,’” Beckie said.

Today, Joe visits the gym almost every day with Beckie, where he walks on a treadmill and does weight training. They plan to run and walk outside as the weather warms up.

He still struggles with aphasia but continues to make daily progress through weekly speech therapy appointments. He also uses a speech app called Constant Therapy, and is documenting his aphasia journey on Instagram. He is becoming more active at work, attending virtual meetings with employees and clients.

Before the stroke, Joe had taught himself to play the drums. Now he has begun to re-learn those skills – practicing and playing music with his daughters again.

“It’s almost unbelievable the amount of recovery, to have someone who couldn’t even use an arm then be able to drum with it is magnificent,” Dr. Morrow said.