The stroke and the stride

In large childlike letters she wrote "OCT, MR 20” with her left hand, being unable to speak or make any movements on the right side of her body barring wiggling her toes and marginally lifting her leg. It was several days later that Dina Pestonji’s family realized that through her encrypted message in end January 2013 she was reminding them of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 20, 2013.

Dina Pestonji : remarkable recovery

Nine months later, 29-year-old Pestonji was among the approximately 25,000 runners from 60 countries who hit the pavement on October 20. She completed the 21-km half marathon in two hours, 31 minutes, 55 seconds, more than an hour after the winner in the 25-29 female category completed the race in 1:21:47. The event that raised $3.2 million for 180 charities gave the Greater Toronto Area economy a $30 million boost, as reported 680News. To Pestonji, it accorded a raison d’etre to struggle towards a speedy recovery and to regain movements of her right limbs, having suffered a rare stroke that necessitated an emergency surgery on January 7 to remove a palm-sized portion of her skull.
Epitomizing grit and determination, Pestonji’s stoic story was carried in several Toronto publications in October. As she told the Toronto Star reporter, "I thought my life was over after the stroke, meaning I wouldn’t get to be the super-active and social person who enjoys doing everything. I’m proving to myself that I’m the same person I was before and am back to everything I love doing.” Besides resuming her passion for running, she was happy that she could attend her sister’s graduation in Europe and had even resumed her search for a job.
On the day of her surgery, Pestonji was to have actually started a new job in financial technology sales, having just returned to Toronto after an overseas stint. In the preceding month when she was in the midst of moving into a new downtown condo, she started experiencing severe headaches and shooting pain from her neck to legs. Medical tests being inconclusive, she was sent home after a week but the next day she was unable to move her right arm or the right side of her face. Another round of tests showed that she had suffered two strokes and needed immediate brain surgery that could result in serious brain damage, whilst avoiding it could result in death. Her parents Shahnaz and Soli were given one hour in which to decide and they chose to proceed with the operation.
Since the stroke had caused a swelling in the brain, neurosurgeon Dr Mojgan Hodaie had to remove a portion of Pestonji’s skull. As he later recalled for the Toronto Star, "We really had a very, very short time to save her life. We had her in the operating room not knowing how the day would end” for her. Having developed good stamina and willpower over years of running and additionally having youth in her favor, Pestonji’s recovery was fortunately "incredible.” Whilst it is difficult to pinpoint the cause of the stroke there is a possibility that it may have some link to an acne medication that is commonly used as a contraceptive.
In the weeks following the surgery, Pestonji feared that she may never walk again but once she regained some initial movement her spirits were buoyed. After a month at the Toronto Western hospital she was transferred to the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute where as an inpatient she learnt to speak and walk again, often wearing a protective helmet to protect the area of the skull that was still missing. "After my surgery my voice sounded like a robot. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever talk properly again, and have my personality back. My speech language pathologist worked with me to gain back my communication skills, but it took time. I was so relieved when it started coming back,” she was quoted on the website of the University Health Network. Under the guidance of her physiotherapist who would give her different routines, plus the encouragement of her parents Pestonji was able to bounce back.
As she candidly admitted to the Toronto Star reporter, "I did have days where I really cried and was really upset. My mom always said, ‘You have your 10 minutes of time to cry, and this situation sucks, but you have goals to accomplish and you’ve got to actually get them done so you can get back to the person you were before.’” Within a few months of rehabilitation and having her second brain surgery to reattach her skull flap, Pestonji completed her first duathalon on August 25 and two months thereafter the marathon. "When I actually did cross the finish line it was a really incredible feeling… My legs were killing me but it was a really nice moment,” she relived the fulfilment. "I just stayed positive,” Pestonji shared the recipe for her recovery.
Thereafter the family has shied away from media coverage and efforts to contact them by FEZANA Journal and Parsiana were met with a polite statement by Soli, "Dina and our family have closed this chapter now and don’t wish to correspond with anybody.”