Health
Michigan mom: ‘I had a stroke at 39 — and the warning signs weren’t what you’d expect’
Jenna Gibson was just 39 when she was training for a marathon five years ago — but her plans were cut short by a stroke that almost took her life.
Nearly 60% of stroke deaths occur in women, according to a recent study by Mayo Clinic — and now Gibson, a Michigan mother of two, aims to help others to be more aware and prioritize their health.
“Once I learned that strokes are happening to younger people, I had to share my story,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“In most cases, strokes are preventable if you know what to look for.”
On the day of Gibson’s stroke, she was feeling great.
Jenna Gibson was just 39 years old when she was training for a marathon five years ago — but her plans were cut short by a stroke that nearly took her life. (Jenna Gibson)
It was a beautiful day, she’d nailed a presentation at work, and she was enjoying a walk outside with her mother after dinner.
“We were talking about how I was training for the Detroit marathon for my 40th birthday, and then all of a sudden, out of the blue, it felt like I was hit with a ton of bricks,” she told Fox News Digital.
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Gibson stopped walking, then suddenly fell over into the grass.
Her mother thought she was joking at first. “She actually took a picture of me lying in the grass, saying, ‘C’mon, get up, what are you doing?’”
“They could see there was a blockage on the left side of my brain, and I was actively having a stroke.”
Her mother helped her up, but Gibson couldn’t walk straight.
“I felt like I was drunk — something just wasn’t right,” she said.
Even so, Gibson did not experience any of the textbook symptoms of a stroke, such as the facial droop, severe headache or vision disturbances.
When Gibson first fell onto the grass, her mother thought she was joking — and snapped this picture. As it turned out, Gibson was in the early stages of having a stroke. (Jenna Gibson)
They made it back home, where Gibson assumed she was having a migraine. She took some headache medicine and went to bed.
“A couple of hours later, I woke up and still didn’t feel right — I couldn’t get out of bed, I couldn’t move,” she recalled.
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That’s when they headed to the emergency room. Gibson’s mother told the medical team that her daughter was having trouble walking and might be having a stroke.
“They checked me over, did all the tests, and didn’t see the typical signs that they would be looking for,” Gibson said. “Part of it was because I was young.”
“I could walk, although not very well. I could get some words out.”
She added, “I didn’t have the facial droop. I could walk, although not very well. I could get some words out.”
After a CT scan, the medical team decided that Gibson was likely having an optic migraine. The next morning, when she still wasn’t feeling right, the neurologist ordered another scan with contrast — and that time, the stroke finally showed up.
Gibson is pictured with her husband and two daughters, who were ages 8 and 4 at the time of her stroke in 2019. (Jenna Gibson)
“They could see that there was a blockage on the left side of my brain, and I was actively having a stroke,” she said.
Gibson was immediately airlifted to another hospital, where she had emergency brain surgery to remove the blood clot.
“There was obviously a risk of death — if we didn’t move fast enough, the time frame would be over,” she said.
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As she was flown to the hospital, Gibson said she felt certain she was going to die and would never again see her husband or her daughters, who were just 8 and 4 at the time.
“I thought I’d never get to see my children grow up and get married, or that I’d have to live in some kind of vegetative state and would never work again.”
Gibson is pictured with her two daughters in the hospital after her stroke. Her first “assignment” was to tell her daughters that she loved them — and that “Mommy’s going to be OK.” (Jenna Gibson)
“I was thinking, ‘Did I tell my girls enough times that Mommy loves them? Does my husband know how proud I am of him?’”
The next thing she knew, Gibson was waking up from surgery in the ICU — and facing a long road to recovery.
“At first, I couldn’t speak at all. I couldn’t move my right side. I was trapped in my head — I could see what was happening and hear people asking me questions, but I couldn’t answer.”
‘By the grace of God’
Over the next few days, Gibson said her capabilities slowly started coming back.
She received speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy — and over time began to regain movement on her right side.
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Her first “assignment” was to tell her daughters that she loved them and that “Mommy’s going to be OK.”
After a couple of weeks, Gibson returned home and continued with outpatient therapy for three hours a day, three days a week for a four-month period.
“It was during the first six weeks that we saw the quickest improvement, and then after that, it was slower and slower,” she said.
“I had to relearn everything. And now, by the grace of God, I can do all the things.”
“I was thinking, ‘Did I tell my girls enough times that Mommy loves them? Does my husband know how proud I am of him?’” Gibson said about her stroke. She is pictured here with her husband and two daughters. (Jenna Gibson)
Today, Gibson is still completely numb on the entire right side of her body. She also still sometimes struggles with finding the right words while speaking, she said, especially when she’s tired or stressed.
“But if you saw me, I look like a normal person,” she said.
And in a full-circle moment, Gibson was finally able to complete the half-marathon last October.
‘Every second counts’
Dr. Annie Tsui, chief of neurology at Access TeleCare, who is based in Texas, emphasized the prevalence of strokes among women and urged awareness.
“Strokes can occur for various reasons across different age groups and genders,” Tsui, who was not involved in Gibson’s care, told Fox News Digital. “Even though strokes can occur at any age, women between the ages of 20 and 39 are at twice the risk compared to men.”
While the primary risk factors for stroke are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity and diabetes, the causes for strokes in younger age groups differ from those typically associated with older people, Tsui noted.
After her stroke was diagnosed, Gibson was airlifted to another hospital to get emergency brain surgery. (Jenna Gibson)
Those may include cardiac issues, blood clotting disorders, genetic predispositions, vascular abnormalities or trauma.
“Although no one is completely immune to the risk of stroke, individuals at higher risk should work with their doctor to develop a prevention plan,” Tsui advised. “In general, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial, as up to 80% of strokes can be prevented.”
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It’s crucial to be aware of the symptoms to receive treatment as quickly as possible, according to Tsui.
She recommends using the FAST acronym, shown below, as a convenient tool for identifying stroke indicators.
- Face (drooping or numbness)
- Arm (weakness or numbness)
- Speech (slurring or difficulty speaking)
- T for time to call 911
Gibson underwent four months of intensive physical and occupational therapy during her recovery. (Jenna Gibson)
“The chances of survival and positive outcomes are highest when the patient receives prompt medical attention,” Tsui told Fox News Digital.
Some stroke treatments are only effective if administered within three hours of when symptoms begin, she warned — with the risk of permanent brain damage or death rising with each passing minute.
“It’s important to be vigilant in recognizing stroke symptoms and to seek medical assistance immediately at the first sign,” Tsui said.
“Every second counts in reducing the risk of brain injury, permanent disability or even death.”
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Novo Nordisk to slash Wegovy, Ozempic list prices
Board certified rheumatologist Dr. Mahsa Tehrani discusses Novo Nordisk’s decision to dramatically cut the U.S. list prices for its popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy on ‘America Reports.’
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Millions of Medicare beneficiaries struggling with obesity could soon see the cost of weight-loss drugs plummet, as a new federal pilot program launching July 1 expands access to GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound for eligible seniors.
Through a new trial called Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, the federal government is now offering a selection of the brand-name medications to certain Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries for $50 a month, The Associated Press reported.
The covered medications include drugmaker Eli Lilly’s Foundayo tablets and Zepbound KwikPens and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy injections and tablets, all of which have been FDA-approved for weight loss, according to the report.
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The temporary program is set to run until the end of 2027.
This is the first time GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) will be covered by insurance when used solely for weight loss.
A new federal pilot program launching July 1 expands access to GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound for eligible seniors. (iStock)
Prior to this new Medicare pilot, seniors who wanted to access GLP-1s for obesity alone paid about $1,350-$1,650 per month for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) and about $1,086 monthly for Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide). However, both manufacturers offered some cash-pay options that significantly reduced those prices for eligible patients.
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There are some parameters surrounding the coverage — older adults must have had a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher when they started GLP-1 therapy, or a BMI of 27 or higher alongside another health condition, such as a past heart attack or stroke or prediabetes.
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Those who already have insurance coverage for other diseases, such as diabetes and sleep apnea, are not eligible for the program.
Through a new trial called Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, the federal government is now offering a selection of the brand-name medications to certain Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries for $50 a month. (iStock)
There are more than 70 million Americans currently enrolled in Medicare, 10 million of whom are overweight or obese, according to Juliette Cubanski, vice president and director of the program on Medicare policy at the healthcare research nonprofit KFF.
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“For many older Americans living with obesity, this is a moment they and their families have been waiting for,” Jamey Millar, Novo Nordisk’s executive vice president of U.S. operations, said in a press release.
“The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program offers a new, affordable path to an FDA-approved treatment that was previously not covered.”
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said he hopes the program can help his agency collect data to potentially work toward longer-term coverage, while providing immediate relief to cash-strapped older Americans, AP reported.
“The sheer cost of these medications is a huge barrier to access,” he said in a call with reporters. “That ends today.”
Prior to this new Medicare pilot, seniors who wanted to access GLP-1s for obesity alone paid about $1,350-$1,650 per month for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) and about $1,086 monthly for Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide). (iStock)
Oz told reporters that CMS plans to “carefully track participation and outcomes” to see whether an extension of the Bridge program or another solution is the best way to move forward. He told AP a federal law permanently allowing the coverage is “not essential right now” but something “for Congress to debate amongst themselves.”
“We can’t decide what’s going to happen long term with Bridge until we see some of the data,” he said, adding that there are ongoing talks with drug companies to lower costs.
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One potential concern is that older patients tend to have more adverse effects to medication in general , according to Dr. Micah Eimer, a clinical assistant professor of cardiology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“Specifically, in our research, older patients on blood pressure medications were more likely to experience hypotensive side effects, such as fainting and dizziness, after starting a GLP-1,” he said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Federal health officials are attempting to track down the source of a microscopic parasite that triggers prolonged gastrointestinal illness, as domestic cases begin to climb for the summer season.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 145 cases of cyclosporiasis across 17 states as of mid-June 2026, all linked to infections acquired in the U.S.
The culprit is Cyclospora, a microscopic parasite known to cause cyclosporiasis.
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The hallmark symptom of the infection is watery, often “explosive” diarrhea that can last for weeks or even months if left untreated, the CDC says.
There is currently no evidence of a single, multistate Cyclospora outbreak linking all cases. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File)
Other symptoms include severe abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, fatigue and significant weight loss.
The official outbreak season for the parasite runs from May 1 through Aug. 31, a window where warmer temperatures historically coincide with a spike in infections, according to the CDC.
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Cases have cropped up in states ranging from Texas to Alaska. New York has been hit the hardest so far, reporting between 31 and 80 cases, followed by Texas and Illinois, which have each reported between 11 and 30 cases.
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While the infection can sometimes clear up on its own, it frequently requires antibiotics. Out of the 145 confirmed cases, 20 patients have required hospitalization, per the CDC.
While the infection can sometimes clear up on its own, it frequently requires antibiotics. (iStock)
No deaths have yet been reported. Patients range from 5 to 86 years old, though the median age is 42, and women make up 61% of the reported cases, data shows.
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The CDC, alongside the Food and Drug Administration and state health officials, is actively investigating several multi-state clusters, but they have yet to find a cause behind the spread.
Officials urge patients with symptoms to seek help from a medical professional. (iStock)
“There is currently no evidence of a single, multistate Cyclospora outbreak linking all cases,” the CDC noted in its surveillance report.
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The CDC advises anyone experiencing symptoms of cyclosporiasis to contact a healthcare provider for testing and treatment.
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