A Stroke -- in Your Twenties? Having a Stroke in Prime of Your Life is More Common Than You'd Think
Thursday, September 2, 2010
By: Dr. Jennifer Ashton

CBS News

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Many of the victims are eldery, but a third of those affected by stroke are under 65 --and sometimes much younger than that.

Elizabeth Gates, the daughter of prominent Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, is in her twenties and suffered a severe stroke just four months ago. And remarkably, she's now able to talk about it.

So how did Elizabeth know she had suffered from a stroke?

After an evening at a bachelorette party this May, 28-year-old Elizabeth Gates woke up with what she thought was a hangover.

"I couldn't move at all it was horrible. I called my friends in the room. I tried to say, 'What the hell is going on?', but all I could say was 'What?'" she said.

Elizabeth had suffered a stroke, her mind irreparably harmed. An X-ray showed a bright portion that revealed just how much of her brain tissue was destroyed.

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