‘It wasn’t an option to just quit’: Mass. woman continues to inspire despite serious stroke

EASTON, Mass. — One woman is continuing to step toward recovery despite suffering a serious stroke four years ago.

Advocating for her sister, Jenny, is a constant effort for Jessica Nieves.

At just 33 years old, Jennifer “Jenny” Martinez suffered a brain stem stroke, changing her life and the lives of those around her as they all knew it.

Nieves smiles when thinking of Jenny before the stroke.

“Very much the free spirit, always. She was the traveler, the hiker. She just loved life. She had her ways, kind of like you know the showstopper and stuff, but when you really got to know her, she was really soft,” she said.

Jenny is and always has been a dreamer, according to Nieves. She successfully pursued a career in journalism.

She had been a reporter in Phoenix, Arizona, before announcing her launch into the podcast world in January of 2022.

Soon after, Nieves says everything changed.

“She was in between contracts. She was a reporter, and that night she came home, and she said, ‘I have a really big headache,’ and my mom was like, ‘Oh, it’s ok,’ and gave her a kiss on the forehead and said, ‘You know, just rest and I guess that night is when the stroke happened,” she remembered.

“My dad, around 9:30 or 10 o’clock in the morning, got that gut feeling like something is not right. He ran downstairs, checked on her and when he found her, he knew something was seriously wrong.” she added.

Since the stroke happened overnight, no one witnessed the signs. The stroke paralyzed Jenny right away.

The signs for stroke include the loss of balance, dizziness or lack of coordination, sudden blurred vision or loss of sight in one or both eyes, face drooping, and arm or leg weakness.

“She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t call for help and because it happened at 2 or 3 in the morning, my parents were asleep. So, she was just forced to sit there. No one could have helped her.”

“She had to go under surgery to remove the blood clot because so much time happened between her stroke and my dad finding her and the doctors actually diagnosing her it was just too late.”

Jenny was rushed to the closest hospital, then immediately taken to Boston Medical Center for surgery. From there, she spent six months at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

“It just happened so quickly that it was kind of like, what is going on? How does this happen to someone who is so young and so healthy? But that’s the thing with a stroke, it doesn’t discriminate it doesn’t pick an older person or a younger person. It can happen to anybody.”

After her stay at Spaulding, Jenny returned to her family’s home in Stoughton where they had made all of the adjustments to best care of her.

“Since then, it’s just been you know one thing after the other making sure she has the best care, making sure we can raise the funds to get her into the best therapies you know the ones that her insurance doesn’t cover. It’s been a lot of advocacy for her and a lot of pushing and just being there and making sure she has everything she needs for the best chance of recovery,” her sister said.

Despite what doctors have told the family, Jenny has been making strides toward recovery.

“It wasn’t an option to just quit her. it’s never been. We have faith that God is with us. She is here for a reason, and we are not giving up.”

As someone who once made a living telling stories, she is fighting with everything she has to be able to use her voice again.

Right now, she communicates through a special system using her eyes.

“She is clear. She is all there, so she’s able to communicate. She tells us when she’s happy or upset. Or when she needs a break or she is tired,” Nieves explained.

As someone who loved to travel the country, Jenny was only three states away from visiting all 50. She was always on the move and now she is putting in hours of work a week to be able to stand and walk.

With each baby step, she is closing to joining what’s turned into a giant group of supporters for the annual Hike For Jenny through the foundation, Stroke of Light, founded by her sister and closest friends.

“Jenny needs help just like others but this is also about advocacy. Advocate for each other. Help each other because when we hike, we hike for Jenny, but we also hike for others. Raising awareness because god forbid it happens to me or you. It can happen to anybody, and we have to keep going. The hikes started for Jenny but its more now.”

This year the hike is Sunday, May 31^st at 9 in the morning at the Borderland State Park in Easton.

“We are all here for a greater purpose and sometimes we are given these things, we are dealt with these cards and it’s either you give up or you keep going. I don’t know how this is going to end. I don’t know if she is ever going to walk. I don’t know if she is ever going to talk. I have faith that she will but at the end of the day I want people to take away that family is family. If you love someone, you stick by them, always and love always wins.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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