For my Neuro Note, I chose to watch 1,000 to 100: The Cory Weissman Story. This movie tells the true story of a college freshman, Cory Weissman, who plays basketball for Gettysburg College. In high school, Cory scored over 1,000 points playing basketball and worked diligently to earn the starting point guard position. While training one day, Cory began to feel disoriented and dizzy. His best friend, Brandon, noticed something was wrong and almost carried him to the team’s athletic training. She soon realized that he was exhibiting signs of a cerebrovascular accident, or a stroke.
Cory was rushed to the hospital where he remained unconscious for several days. The doctors found that Cory had an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which is a tangle of vessels in the brain that can eventually burst. The physician found that the AVM was the cause of Cory’s stroke, and for several days after the stroke, the AVM in Cory’s brain continued to bleed. During his first night in the hospital, Cory’s doctor was unsure whether he would survive the night or pass away from this stroke. After several days of unresponsiveness, Cory smiled and responded when his older brother spoke to him.
Soon after Cory regained consciousness, he began intense therapy in hopes to regain his abilities. His main goal was to return to playing basketball at the collegiate level. During his rehabilitation, Cory had a great support system. His mom was incredibly involved in his therapy as well as his best friend, Brandon, and the rest of his family. Despite the circumstances, Cory often reminded himself that other people had it worse than him, so he should continue fighting through the difficulties from the stroke.
After his discharge from the rehabilitation facility, Cory found that he was often unable to participate in activities with his friends and felt like he was missing out. His girlfriend at the time broke up with him because she could not handle the challenges of dating someone with a disability. Although he was disappointed in losing his girlfriend, Cory continued to work hard to overcome the obstacles he was faced with. He began driving again and was planning on returning to school. Soon, however, Cory began to have seizures, and his family and doctors feared that returning to school would only increase the likelihood of him having more seizures. Eventually, Cory convinced his family to let him return to school, and he began working towards his goal of returning to team.
As Cory progressed, his coach warned him that he was unsure if he would play ever again. The coach feared that Cory could get hurt or suffer another seizure while playing. Instead, Cory was given a position on the team to help with practices, games, and keeping statistics. As he continued to make progress through therapy, Cory was able to run lines with the team and participate in practices with the team. During his senior year, Cory was voted as one of the team captains, and at the end of the season, his coach allowed him to start his Senior Night game. Cory was on the court for tip-off, but his coach did not want him to play anymore during the game for his own protection. However, with twenty seconds left in the game, Cory’s coach allowed him to play. The other team purposely fouled Cory so that he could go to the free-throw line and shoot. Cory missed his first shot, but he made the second free-throw.
Cory constantly contemplated the reason for him having a stroke. At the end of the story, Cory reflects on the obstacles he overcame and how strong he became due to his circumstances. Cory meets a young boy who had an AVM that led to a stroke and played soccer with him. The little boy’s mom discussed how inspired her son was because of Cory’s story. He realized that his stroke allowed him to reach people on a different level and become an inspiration for all.
I chose to watch this movie for my Neuro Note assignment after hearing a classmate discuss it for her Case Study. I am aware that young people suffer strokes, however, I had never heard a story of someone close to my age having a stroke. I found out that this was a true story and found it very fascinating that a college athlete in the best shape of his life could have a stroke.
Through witnessing this depiction of Cory Weissman’s story, I was able to understand the struggles and obstacles he faced. This movie used a lot of terminology that has been covered in this class, and I was able to apply my knowledge from Neuro Aspects to this movie. It gave me a real-life look into how people adapt to life following a stroke, and the impact that positivity and hard work can have on therapy. I also saw the impact of family and friend support on one’s therapy. Cory was able to overcome so many obstacles with the help of his family and friends to motivate his recovery. This story really provided me with a raw perspective on strokes in young, healthy individuals. I recommend this movie to anyone who is looking to learn more about strokes and gain a real perspective on the reality of a stroke in a young person.
Burris, B. & Gordon, B. (Producers), & Levine, M. (Director). (2014). 1000 to 1: The Cory Weissman Story [Motion Picture]. United States: Cinedigm.
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