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two young p.e.i. survivors of stroke and heart problems share their journey
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jeffery reynolds at the queen elizabeth hospital.
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it began as a normal day, but by the end, jeffery reynolds’s life would never be the same.
on jan. 8, 2025, reynolds returned home from work and began removing snow from his driveway.
“i stopped after feeling dizzy and seeing double vision,” he says.
reynolds staggered inside and to the bathroom to rest. while passing his wife, kari reynolds, she noticed something was off with his stride and that he was incoherent.
“i couldn’t see her, but i was like, ‘yeah, i’m fine. i’m just tired.’ because, leading up to it, i wasn’t sleeping well. i don’t remember the rest when i was in the bathroom,” he says.
“but my wife says she heard a loud thud and came racing through the door.”
their dog was licking his face, the drooping side.
reynolds remembers the triage area of the queen elizabeth hospital in charlottetown, p.e.i.
“i was put in the stroke icu (intensive care unit) for a bit, and then i stayed in that unit for an extended period learning to get my balance, to walk independently, speak, and even swallow,” he says.
he never could have imagined having a major stroke at age 44.
“simple things i had always taken for granted, such as walking, talking, and remembering, became monumental challenges. and then, medications, appointments, and follow-up care became my whole world.”
jeffery reynolds learning to walk again after having a stroke. contributed
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struggle rebounding from strokes
now, as a two-stroke survivor— “a cat scan revealed i had more than one,” he says— reynolds struggles with anxiety, where minor mishaps can cause a panic attack or even lead to depression.
“i haven’t been to a restaurant since,” he adds, acknowledging his physical limitations and vision changes since his stroke.
but his recovery has not been a solitary journey.
“kari has been there creating routines, giving me encouragement, and coordinating therapies,” he says.
their two small dogs, clark and fenway, reynolds says, have offered comfort, joy, and emotional stability.
and he credits health p.e.i. and their professionalism with ongoing medical and therapeutic support.
to help other survivors of a stroke feel not alone with their physical limitations, communication barriers, and the emotional turmoil that impacts their quality of life, reynolds chronicles his journey on facebook, detailing his darkest moments and the small triumphs.
“last year, during the holiday season, i received over 500 christmas cards filled with messages of support and encouragement from those following my online journey,” he says.
“opening those cards, surrounded by kari, clark, and fenway, was like feeling thousands of hearts cheering me on because even in my weakest moments, i was never alone.”
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signs and symptoms of a stroke
by sharing his vulnerabilities publicly, reynolds hopes to educate others about recognizing the signs and symptoms of a stroke, its prevention, and recovery.
f.a.s.t. is the acronym used to recognize stroke symptoms and is a decal on ambulances to serve as a constant reminder. it stands for drooping on the face, weakness in the arm, difficulty with speech, and the time to medically respond.
“acting fast during a stroke is critical,” states reynolds, who credits kari for saving his life.
reynolds says he has partnered with health p.e.i., local politicians, and community organizations—after they reached out to him—to champion programs such as the $1,800-per-month at home caregiver benefit, ai-assisted medical documentation, and public education on hospital technology.
“knowledge is power,” states reynolds.
“learning about the symptoms of a stroke, understanding the challenges, and advocating for improvements can save lives and change communities.”
he is part of march of dimes canada after stroke, which offers a personalized support program to help survivors lead a fulfilling life. it connects them with other survivors and their families, offers new friendships, helps them regain confidence, sets goals, provides a path to overcome challenges, and helps them become active members of their communities again.
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mysterious weight gain
cassandra mackay, a resident of summerside, p.e.i., is no stranger to overcoming challenges.
she recalls walking to her elementary school, running track and field, and living a generally healthy lifestyle—yet her weight began to spiral out of control, prompting concern.
by age eight, she had her first menstrual cycle.
“i started shopping at stores like pennington’s (for plus-sized clothing). so, i never got to dress like my classmates. i was followed by geneticists my whole life because they couldn’t figure out why i was gaining weight. and my size caused friction between my classmates and me,” she adds.
by age nine, she had a pre-diabetic diagnosis, with a genetic predisposition.
“i had a special chair that i sat in at elementary school because the regular chairs wouldn’t hold my weight. when i went to junior high, i started getting bullied so bad that i dropped out and was homeschooled for a couple of years,” she says.
“i then returned to a different school in grade 9, but it was not a whole lot better, and i started to have other health issues, including sleep apnea.”
mackay became more withdrawn and isolated from her classmates because of her weight.
“as a child, i would usually have oatmeal for breakfast with fruit. my lunches would be leftovers or a sandwich when i was younger; in junior high, i transitioned to michelina frozen meals, mostly, with the odd hot meal dropped off by my mom or the odd cafeteria burger or pasta,” she says.
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“in high school, my lunch was consistently a slice of pizza or a cheeseburger from the cafeteria, and either way, i had a side of popcorn chicken. the change in lunches over the years reflected my mom’s energy levels and our finances, as well as my mom’s free time to meal prep.”
mackay stresses that her suppers as a kid were varied and healthy, from soups, casseroles, handheld food like tacos, and always lots of protein and veggies.
“if i wanted a snack, it was usually apple slices with peanut butter, berries, etc. i’d say the biggest change now is the lack of lunch due to decreased appetite from the medications, and i eat less variety. i have a small apartment-sized freezer, and support workers now prepare all my suppers,” she says.
“i find myself resorting to simpler meals, but i still try to have high protein and high veggie suppers four to five nights a week on average.”
cassandra mackay hopes to encourage people to follow their gut instincts when it comes to their health and not take “no” for an answer if they know something is wrong. contributed
searching for answers
it would take years before mackay would find answers to her health battles.
“my grandmother, gail, had many heart issues. she died in 2024. when i started having heart problems, i never realized how much i missed her,” she says.
“we never spent much time together when she was alive because i’m also neurodivergent, and she never understood this condition. but now that i’m going through some of the same things she did, i realize her quiet struggles.”
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now aged 29, mackay was set to undergo an angiogram with a possible insertion on feb. 18.
“i first noticed something wrong with my heart during the pandemic. i had no family doctor. so, calmly, i explained my symptoms to my mom. she got me a medical-grade pulse oximeter for monitoring,” she says.
raising awareness
mackay feels she began an awareness campaign: to be heard as a young person with a potential heart problem, search deeper into her medical records for a full blood report, and not be dismissed by hospital doctors who, she says, initially called her heart concern “anxiety.”
in her search for answers, she discovered her magnesium levels were dangerously low due to her medication and its side effects that could trigger heart arrhythmia.
mackay informed her new assigned doctor of all her symptoms, the medication, and her family history of diabetes and heart disease.
“i’ve never had anyone able to help me until i got set up with this internal medicine doctor who was new to the island and had to work hard to advocate for me,” she adds. “and when i told her this whole story last fall, she basically said we’re going to run all the tests, including an angiogram.”
it turned out some of those heart-racing episodes may have been minor heart attacks.
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mackay says that every time she has a challenging day, whether due to deterioration in her health or because strangers see her with a walker and judge without realizing the constant struggles of her day-to-day life, she feels her grandmother watching over and protecting her.
“despite my issues…i do have goals or ambitions for the future,” states mackay.
“i would like to have a family and travel, like one of my friends who is on a similar program to doctors without borders. my thoughts are to get my health issues under control, then go back to school and become a registered nurse.”
this article was originally published in the st. john’s telegram on february 18, 2026.
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