Hi, my name is Hilary.  I am a five-year stroke survivor.  Five years ago, I was diagnosed with a stroke on the right side of my brain.  The day after my birth, I started having seizures.  They had done several tests and found out that I had a stroke on the right side of my brain.  I had little use of my left side.  I spent the first week of my life in the NICU at St. Mary’s.  The nurses and doctors there were wonderful.  At six months old, I started getting therapy.  I have gone through physical, occupational, and speech therapies.  I am now using both sides equally, and I am going to be left handed.  I had the best three therapists working on me.  I just graduated from development preschool and I will be starting regular kindergarten in the fall.  I still have attention issues along with other things, but every day I get better and better.  I hope that someday I will be just like any other kid.