A stroke on New Year’s Day left John Rossi unable to speak. Rapid emergency care at the Pottstown Hospital emergency room and follow-up rehabilitation helped him recover and return to daily life.
New Year’s Day Takes an Unexpected Turn
On New Year’s Day 2026, John Rossi was sitting in his Lower Pottsgrove living room looking at a bill on his cellphone when, without warning, everything changed.
“It was like boom. Everything just went dark. Everything just went blank,” the 65-year-old recalled. “And I thought, ‘That’s it. I’m done.’”
John suddenly couldn’t speak clearly. He could barely hear. He couldn’t understand what his girlfriend was saying.
He was having a stroke.
For John, a Marine Corps veteran of more than 20 years, the fear was immediate.
“Sometimes you feel invincible,” he said. “Not much scared me, but I admit I was scared.”
Rapid Stroke Care and John's Recovery
A volunteer EMT named Kim stabilized him and an ambulance rushed him to Pottstown Hospital, where emergency teams quickly discovered a split artery had sent a blood clot to his brain. Doctors administered tPA, a clot-busting medication used in emergency stroke treatment to restore blood flow.
John remembers almost nothing from the rest of that night.
“I don’t recall anything until the next day. I wasn’t cognizant. I thought I was gone,” he said.
But he does remember the people who cared for him.
“When I woke up the next day, I was grateful. Everyone always hears the bad things, but Kim was right on time, and I told her that. Between her and the doctors, they saved my life.”
After emergency treatment at Pottstown Hospital, John continued rehabilitation at Reading Hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Center. Four months later, he is back to driving, preparing summer plans, and spending time with his family and chocolate lab, Willow.
Looking back, he said he’s grateful not only for the care he received, but also for how quickly he was able to get it.
“Everyone from Pottstown Hospital and Reading Hospital was outstanding,” he said. “From the nurses to the people who emptied the trash, everyone knew what they had to do. I’m glad we didn’t have to go far. It’s good to have these hospitals nearby.”
