Peninsula Rehab Center's Patient, Ben, Tells His Story

On March 16, Ibrahim "Ben" Benbenu, 53, was sitting at his computer in his Orange City home when he was, as he put it, "struck by internal lightning."

"I felt spasms in my jaw, tightness in my neck, saw a flash of bright light, and fell down on the floor," Benbenu said.

His youngest daughter, Miriam, rushed to his side only to see what looked like the left side of his face "sliding off." His oldest daughter, Rachel, called 9-1-1 and Benbenu was taken to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City where he was diagnosed as having had a severe stroke. Just that morning, Benbenu had taken his wife Millie to the airport -- she was going to New York to visit her mother who had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease --and she had to hop on another plane and fly back home immediately.

After the stroke, Benbenu went through inpatient therapy from March 28 to May 10 at Peninsula Rehab Center (PRC) at Florida Hospital Oceanside, Ormond Beach. He continues to visit PRC for outpatient therapy.

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• stroke
• therapy
• outpatient rehab
• inpatient rehab
• recovery
• first steps
• speech therapy
• physical therapy