Preston Allen, a professor of creative writing and English at Miami Dade College\u2019s North Campus, has recovered from a stroke he had in February, which left his right arm and leg immobile.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiracles happen, because Preston is truly a miracle,\u201d said Allen\u2019s wife, Dawn Marache-Allen. \u201cAt this point he says that he is 95 percent Preston and that\u2019s great to hear from him, not from me or the doctors.\u201d<\/p>\n
After being hospitalized on Feb. 20, Allen spent 40 days at Memorial Regional Hospital in Broward. He was transferred to the hospital\u2019s rehabilitation facility on Mar. 17, where he began began physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Two weeks later, he was released and was able to go home.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoctors save your life and the people in therapy give you your life back,\u201d Allen said.<\/p>\n
Allen worked on regaining his memory and restoring movement to his right arm and leg in his therapy sessions. Toward the end, he was walking and writing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wrote them a letter on my last day [of therapy]. I could walk and use the bathroom standing up. I could clap and do other things using my right hand,.\u201d Allen said. \u201cI wrote the letter with my right hand to show them my appreciation for their service.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before therapy, Allen needed a wheelchair; now he only needs the support of a cane.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf all the patients that I have ever worked with that had a stroke, Preston was the most miraculous to me,\u201d said Allen\u2019s physical therapist Karen Cowans. \u201cI have been doing this for six years and I have never seen anyone progress so quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Allen will be returning to North Campus this fall and will be teaching ENC1101 and ENC1102.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be more than wonderful to have Professor Allen back,\u201d said North Campus Dean of Students Malou Harrison. \u201cWe continuously have our colleague in our thoughts, and with uplifting wishes.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for Allen\u2019s family, he and his son Quinn, 16, are back to having their trademark \u201cintellectual conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other night we were watching the Miami Heat play the Chicago Bulls and he tuned out because the Heat were down,\u201d said Allen. \u201cI told him \u2018don\u2019t give up.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Preston Allen, a professor of creative writing and English at Miami Dade College\u2019s North Campus, has recovered from a stroke he had in February, which left his right arm and leg immobile. \u201cMiracles happen, because Preston is truly a miracle,\u201d said Allen\u2019s wife, Dawn Marache-Allen. \u201cAt this point he says that he is 95 percent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":321,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7069","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-news"},"yoast_head":"\n