Julie Anne Quick was born in 1960 in Detroit, Michigan, the youngest of 10 children. A precocious 4 y/o, when her sister walked her to the bus stop on the first day of Head Start, she raced toward the yellow bus when it pulled up, threw her toast with jelly underneath, and climbed aboard like she had been waiting her whole life for this bus.
An Excel guru, she had a vibrant career as a healthcare consultant and data analyst, developing strong friendships wherever she worked. She is intensely spiritual and, after graduating from college at 49, pursued a Masters in Spiritual and Pastoral Care, all while working full-time.
She has battled severe systemic autoimmune disease for 40 years with an indomitable spirit, facing life-threatening crises on many occasions. In April of 2019, she experienced an unexpected embolic stroke in her left posterior cerebral artery, causing right-sided hemianopsia (loss of right field of vision) and severe cognitive deficits.
This blog is about “riding shotgun after stroke,” the process of living through and after a major stroke with honesty, humility, and spirit.