Champion the Challenges Marks Year of Successful Growth on First Anniversary

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Jun 15, 2022, 09:00 ET

Foundation Results Build Stroke Awareness and Inspire Stroke Survivors and Families

LOS GATOS, Calif., June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Champion the Challenges, a nonprofit foundation committed to reimagining stroke rehabilitation, has issued a progress report on its first year of accomplishments since Deb and Bob Shaw co-founded the nonprofit in May 2021.

Deb Shaw survived three strokes from September 2016 to May 2019, during which time she spent many months recovering in Good Samaritan Hospital. Based on Deb's experiences, she and her husband Bob co-founded the stroke nonprofit 501(c)3 foundation as a way of giving back to the stroke community.

"Champion the Challenges is proud to celebrate our very eventful first year," said Deb Shaw, President of Champion the Challenges. "It has been deeply rewarding to connect with so many Bay Area stroke survivors, families, and therapists and support them with educational tools and motivational messages."

For Deb Shaw's deep commitment to the stroke community, she was recently named the "2022 Stroke Survivor Hero of the Year" by the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

Deb has also worked with R&D teams at public and private healthcare and technology companies, along with leading universities, to evaluate new products and solutions designed for stroke survivors. She has explored virtual reality therapies, acupuncture therapies, and hyperbaric oxygen therapies. Her feedback has helped with product evaluations, software suggestions, functionality reviews, and even the usability of packaging designs.

As a result of Deb's work with cutting-edge technologies for stroke rehabilitation, she was praised in a new book by celebrity life coach Tony Robbins. Co-written by Peter Diamandis, M.D., and Robert Hariri, M.D., PH.D., the book titled "Life Force" explores the latest advances in health technologies to help maximize energy and strength, prevent disease, and improve health.

Other First-Year Achievements for Champion the Challenges

Educating, informing, and inspiring 750+ stroke survivors, families, and supporters by speaking to more than 30 online stroke support groups and giving in-person educational sessions for survivors and caregivers.
Serving as Co-Chair with the Pacific Stroke Association for the annual Golf 4 Life event at Los Lagos Golf Course in San Jose, where stroke survivors and family members were introduced to adaptive golf equipment, new technologies and therapies, home healthcare services, and community support organizations.
Other live events have included speaking to the staff at Good Samaritan Hospital-Mission Oaks Campus, and making appearances for stroke awareness fundraisers at five J. McLaughlin retail store events. Deb also was a guest speaker at the 22^nd Annual Stroke Conference hosted by Pacific Stroke Association (PSA), which was attended by 250 doctors, nurses, and therapists.
Providing over 1,000 quick-read booklets for free to local hospital stroke units or mailing them directly to stroke survivors at home.
Receiving thousands of website visits and views of quick-read flipbooks offered on the site, along with enabling 12 stroke survivors to share their captivating stroke stories through personal articles on the website.

New Plans Underway for the Coming Year

Champion the Challenges is planning to expand their reach in hospitals and stroke rehabilitation centers by providing free programs and access to the newest available technologies.
The foundation is set to launch a regular email newsletter for its growing database of stroke survivors and therapists.

About Champion the Challenges

Champion the Challenges is a nonprofit foundation with a mission to help stroke survivors, therapists, family, and friends to reimagine stroke rehabilitation. This is a journey everyone needs to be a part of to achieve the best results. Founded in 2021, Champion the Challenges provides inspiring ideas and helpful resources for everyone to use and share.

For more information, please visit:

https://www.championthechallenges.org/about/debs-stroke-timeline/

https://www.championthechallenges.org/resources/booklets/

https://www.championthechallenges.org/stories/

For media inquiries:
J. Bonasia for Champion the Challenges
Lumina Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE Champion the Challenges