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Home > Bison Media Zone > Will to 'just keep fighting' drives Rachael Otto's stroke recovery


	Podcast:		Bison Media Zone
	Episode:		Will to 'just keep fighting' drives Rachael Otto's stroke recovery
	Category:		Sports & Recreation
	Duration:		00:00:00
	Publish Date:		2024-03-11 23:34:05
	Description:		FARGO Rachael Otto made her mark on the North Dakota State women's basketball team in the 1990s, but her life today is a reminder to those around her of a champion's resilience. A stroke in September 2023 may have robbed Otto of so much of her physical functioning, but despite Locked-in Syndrome, she now uses her eyes to focus on letters on a computer screen. It may take a few seconds, but her thoughts come through a speaker. Locked-in Syndrome is a rare condition that paralyses muscles except for the ones that control eye movement, according to the National Intistutes of Health. Otto and her wife, Susan Faus, were at the lake when the blood clot and stroke happened. "She had the stroke right when she woke up," Faus recalled. The first 48 hours were touch and go. "It was a blur, and especially when the first procedure wasn't successful. Not know what we were truly facing, or what Rachael was truly facing," Faus said. Otto underwent not one, but two surgeries. "I knew it was life or death and was lucky I had a great surgeon who flew in and saved my life," Otto said. Otto, 48, spent months at Craig Hospital in Denver for rehab and recovery. When she returned home, she joined other female athletes from NDSU in an emotional alumni reunion at center court. "It meant the world to me," Otto said. The reunion reminded her of how it takes a team to rally around each other in hard times. "They are great people who care a lot. I feel very fortunate to have them in my life," Otto continued. Because of her Locked-in Syndrome, Otto receives constant care. The stroke left her with paralysis, but she uses her head to control her wheelchair, going forward or backward, and her eyes help her communicate. Their big goal now is to get Otto back to her happy place: the lake cabin and summers, enjoying and adjusting to new circumstances. "Rachael, I think, has a pretty strong reputation (...) of being a fighter and being very strong. But for her to throughout the process stay positive and to just keep fighting, I think, really shows the person that she is," Faus said. There is a fundraiser to help with Rachael Otto's medical and care-giving expenses. To donate visit: https://lendahandup.org/give/rachael724 ]]>
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