Ignacio is a 50-year-old Argentine tango dancer and instructor. He moved to Philadelphia less than two years ago from Argentina to live with his partner, Meredith. Their life together took an unexpected turn in March 2024, when he suffered a life-threatening cerebrovascular accident (CVA).

The Day Everything Changed

On March 9, 2024, Ignacio was at home with Meredith when he began to feel ill. He lost mobility and his gaze became blurred. After emergency services arrived, Ignacio was transferred to Temple University Hospital, where his life was saved with an emergency brain drain. The diagnosis: a hemorrhagic stroke, a critical condition aggravated by a family history of hypertension and a life of stress. He suffered another hemorrhagic stroke three weeks later while in intensive care.

The Long Road to Rehabilitation

Ignacio spent six and a half weeks total in intensive care and five more weeks in rehabilitation. The couple maintained hope thanks to Ignacio’s sense of humor, as he continued to crack jokes even in intensive care. As Meredith shared, “he was always one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, and even when he was in intensive care and the doctors were not sure if mentally he was still there, he found ways to crack jokes.” Even when the doctors suggested there was no hope, Meredith felt he would come back, even if she didn’t know how. Seeing his positive attitude during rehabilitation was what gave her the strength to keep going.

Upon returning home, Ignacio was wheelchair-bound. His previous training in martial arts and tango dancing were critical in his recovery. These activities gave Ignacio tools to deal with physical and neurological demands of healing, helped him reconnect body and mind, and kept his focus on his recovery goals. 

“I think the first thing is having danced tango, that I also wanted to dance again. I changed a lot of things about how I think and how I live now; I think that’s what tango has to do with it.”

Beyond his physical recovery, Ignacio faced moments of uncertainty and emotional difficulties. He doesn’t define it as depression, but he does acknowledge that there were moments of doubt and fear about his future. Meredith’s support was fundamental; his partner was not only present during the medical crises, but also sustained his hope and motivation to keep going.

Where is Ignacio today?

Today, 14 months after his CVAs, Ignacio walks, dances, and continues teaching and performing Argentine tango. He continues to work on his recovery and to build his life in Philadelphia.  In his own words, the key was not giving up, searching within himself for the strength to move forward.

May is Stroke Awareness Month. Learn more about Stroke Awareness.

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