Stroke survivors shares his story

A stroke survivor is sharing his story of beating the odds during National Stroke Awareness Month.

Doctor Thomas Witakowski thanked the staff at Mercy Hospital on Wednesday. He says the staff recognized his love of music and used it to help with his recovery.

Witakowski is a conductor and music professor at Buffalo State College, so the nurses at Mercy Hospital made sure he had every opportunity to hear music.

“It was the experience of a friend bringing me a tablet loaded with iTunes and I started listening to music, and I got to the point where I thought this is so beautiful. But this is who I am and I’m not ready to give it up yet,” he said.

The hospital is also celebrating its reaccreditation as a comprehensive stroke center.