LI Stroke Survivor Who Nearly Died Wrote Book To Share 'Life Lessons'

OLD WESTBURY, NY — A Long Island woman is lucky to be alive. Jennifer Rose Goldman was in her early 30s when she suffered a catastrophic stroke four years ago. She was in a coma, fighting for her life, for several days.

Thankfully, that is not the end of this story.

Goldman pulled out of the coma and started the arduous recovery process that continues to this day with rehabilitation.

Her personal tragedy and ordeal became the basis for the memoir "In the Face of Catastrophe: How a Traumatic Brain Injury Became a Blessing," which she started to write with her mom Caryn Meg Hirshleifer six months after the stroke.

"It just flowed out of us," Goldman told Patch. "It was an opportunity for us to spend together that we didn't even know we needed."

Goldman, who lives in Old Westbury, already had a close relationship with her mother, who runs the family-owned boutique Hirshleifer's in Manhasset. This near-death experience and the aftermath gave mother and daughter an even stronger bond.

"Reliving the trauma together, my mother had to tell about these things that happened while I was out of it," she said. "By doing that, we were able to process the trauma together, and through that experience we were able to heal."

As dire as it was, Goldman's life was likely saved by being in such close proximity to North Shore University Hospital.

Because of the cathartic nature, Goldman, who works in the human resources department in the family business, and her mother would "cry all the time."

With rehab as an ongoing part of her recovery, Goldman is, needless to say, in a much better place than immediately after the stroke.

"I use a walker. I have no peripheral vision, which really bothers me," she aid. "I have no balance."

Goldman said the stroke came "out of the blue' with no warning signs. The Long Islander thought she was in perfect health, but "I was like a ticking time bomb."

In the weeks after her medical emergency, Goldman didn't know who she was or have cognitive awareness.

"I didn't even know what a hair brush was or how to use it," she said. "I've come a long way."

It was a reboot for her, a taking several weeks to relearn her about her entire life and family.

"It was really frightening for them," she said.

While she has recovered from the amnesia, "there are still parts of my memory that I still don't really remember, like who certain people are in my life."

Her book takes readers through the horrific personal ordeal but also offers inspiration for people, no matter what challenges they are facing.

"It has a lot of life lessons in it," Goldman said. "Like how to overcome and navigate adversity. How to never give up [and] have a positive attitude when things happen."

Goldman is determined to keep fighting and improving each day.

"It's a never-ending journey," Goldman said.