In late 2007, things were on the up and up for Maple Grove area chef Kurt Stiles. He’d just left his position in product development at Caribou Coffee to start his own business in the growing area of gluten- and allergen-free food. His wife, Molly, was getting ready to tell him she was pregnant with their second child.
Then, a massive stroke sidelined Stiles, robbing him of his ability to speak and comprehend language. The condition, called aphasia, is common in survivors of brain injuries and head trauma. There are an estimated 80,000 new cases each year and more than 1 million Americans continue to suffer from the disorder which can limit the ability to read, write, walk and more.
Stiles’ stroke injured the section of his brain responsible for language function. After he awoke, he was reduced to using a white board to communicate. He spent the 2007 holiday season in the hospital and was released by New Year’s Eve to begin a long journey of physical and mental rehabilitation.
In addition to regular therapy, Stiles began working with North Memorial Health Care’s Intensive Aphasia Program (IAP). Headquartered in Maple Grove, it is one of only six programs in the nation and 12 in the world to offer such specialized therapy.
“The typical treatment used is speech therapy with speech language pathologists trained in rehabilitating patients with speech and language communication disorders,” said Dr. Irfan Altafullah, a neurologist in the North Memorial health care system. Intensive therapy includes one-on-one treatment for several hours a day for weeks in a row-—60 or 70 hours of therapy.
A leader in the field, North Memorial’s IAP program was founded more than 10 years ago. For survivors at six months to those suffering for as long as 15 years, they offer four annual four-week programs.
Now 52, Stiles has followed the advice of his speech therapist at North Memorial to “speak out loud,” traveling to share his healthy, stroke-friendly recipes with cooks, stroke survivors and the general community. He also works as a personal chef.
“Mind you, after my stroke, I lost my company, the business, the house, the car. But I lived. I filed for bankruptcy, but I lived,” Stiles said. “And I began to register another company, Good For You Ingredients, LLC.”
This past August, Stiles also celebrated the one-year anniversary of the release of his cookbook, Cooking to Save Your Life. Struggling to read or write after his stroke, he teamed up with students from Southwest Minnesota State University to craft the book—a combination of his story and healthy recipes of all kinds, including gluten free, allergy friendly, low sugar/sodium and other healthy choices.
He also continues to volunteer with North Memorial’s IAP, returning to speak, offer cooking demos and interact with patients.
“Many survivors don’t walk, don’t drive, don’t work,” Stiles said. “I’m lucky.”
In addition to the unwavering support of his wife and children, now 6 and 9 years old, Stiles gives credit for his recovery to the North Memorial IAP program, with its intensive one-on-one care and access to new technologies.
“I’ve met over 1,000 stroke survivors,” Stiles says. “The program is hard and focused. I love to work with survivors and teach them ‘don’t quit.’”
Follow along with Chef Stiles at his website, on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter!
