Sweets sounds from the stage mark the recovery journeys of two stroke survivors, Glexey Caraballo and Cathy Garrett, who recently performed with STROKESTRA. This stroke rehabilitation program is led by Dr. Phillips Center in partnership with AdventHealth and uses group music-making workshops to support patient-led recovery.
Glexey’s first performance with STROKESTRA followed a recommendation from his occupational therapist at AdventHealth University’s Hope Clinic. In 2018, Glexey suffered a brain hemorrhage that resulted in severe aphasia, loss of mobility, and impairment of one arm. After emergency surgery and weeks of hospital rehabilitation, he continued therapy at home until insurance coverage ended.
“They thought they had done everything they could for Glexey,” said his mother, Elena “Meibol” Caraballo.
Five years ago, Glexey began attending Hope Clinic after it was recommended to his family. The clinic offers free physical therapy, occupational therapy, and cardiac rehabilitation to uninsured or underinsured patients. Care is provided by clinicians and supervised students from AdventHealth University’s programs.
“Everyone here has given him encouragement and support. They work with a lot of love and patience,” Meibol said.
With ongoing therapy at Hope Clinic, Glexey regained independent walking ability, improved movement in his arm, and some speech capacity. He now participates in music therapy as well.
“Glexey is so positive,” said Olga Melnik, OTR/L, Director of Hope Clinic. “He’s an inspiration and a joy to work with.”
Melnik encouraged Glexey’s interest in music by introducing adaptive instruments like the flute and incorporating salsa dancing into his sessions. According to Meibol Caraballo: “Since he began having music therapy and performing with the orchestra, I see a happiness that he hasn’t had for a while. This is something for him to feel more involved and included, something that would help him with his self-esteem and confidence.”
Cathy Garrett also participated in this year’s STROKESTRA performance at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts—her second time joining the group. In 2019 she experienced an amniotic fluid embolism while overdue to deliver her second child; she fell into a coma following multiple surgeries but survived alongside her newborn daughter Chloe.
After recovering consciousness on day nine post-embolism—following ECMO treatment—Cathy faced significant challenges including stroke-related disabilities: “I went from very healthy to disabled,” she recalled.
She spent 25 days recovering at AdventHealth Orlando before transferring to AdventHealth Winter Park for further rehabilitation. On returning home she realized her condition required long-term management: “My neuro doc finally said, ‘Cathy, this is lifelong.’”
As Medicaid limited her access to therapies in 2021 Cathy found Hope Clinic where she engaged intensively in cardiac rehab five days per week: “The Hope Clinic is really a family…They care about us beyond these walls.”
Today Cathy can drive short distances again and participate more actively in daily life with her husband’s support: “Really my ultimate goal is to take more off my husband’s plate…There’s no way I’d be doing as well as I am without his support.”
Both Cathy (vibraphone) and Glexey (drums) performed together through STROKESTRA—a formal clinical recovery program developed jointly by Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with help from AdventHealth clinicians. The program started in 2022 with about 15 participants; it now includes around 30 stroke survivors practicing twice weekly over three months leading up to a community concert.
“I think finding other stroke survivors and finding community is what makes STROKESTRA so special…The orchestra opened a whole new world to me,” Cathy said.
A highlight of this year’s concert was “Si Si Mejor”—a song created around the only two words Glexey can say (“yes”/“better”). These words symbolize optimism among survivors participating in programs like STROKESTRA.
AdventHealth Orlando has been serving patients since its founding in 1908; it operates as both a general hospital—including pediatric services—and as a training facility under current president Terry Shaw.
https://www.adventhealth.com/hospital/adventhealth-orlando
For more information or participation details regarding STROKESTRA visit their website.
