David Layton '66 shares his experiences about not just surviving but thriving after a major stroke.
By Caitlin O’Donnell ’13
The message printed on the small bronze crosses is simple – “God loves you.” But for David Layton ’66, who has handed out thousands of the mementos to hospital patients and their families, the meaning runs much deeper. Nicknamed “Dr. Hope” by one family, Layton has made it his mission to reach millions with his words of encouragement.
After suffering a massive stroke in 1999 at age 55 that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body, Layton and his wife, Charlotte, a 1968 Elon alumna, grappled with the recovery process on their own. After leaving the hospital, and once he was up and moving, Layton started a visitation program through which he has visited more than 3,000 stroke survivors and caregivers.
“All (patients) have the need to talk with someone who has been there and come back,” Layton says. “I was able to identify with patients suffering the worst-case scenarios because my own stroke was so massive. I spent three weeks in a coma, and they didn’t know if I was going to live. I had a four percent chance of survival, and I’m very blessed to be here.”
In 2002, he joined a speakers bureau that works with the Greensboro, N.C., branch of the American Heart Association and began sharing information about stroke prevention and awareness.
“That’s been my main emphasis since my recovery: to make people aware of what they can do to prevent a stroke by explaining risk factors,” Layton says.
As the number of his speaking engagements around North Carolina grew, Layton set a lofty goal of reaching one million people with his message. By 2007, he surpassed that goal by more than 200,000 people through presentations at churches, hospitals and in televised specials. He’s a frequent contributor to Stroke Connection magazine, publishing 11 articles detailing his post-stroke experiences.
While the specifics of each of Layton’s articles differ, there’s one thread that connects them all: positivity.
“I’ve written all the articles with an intent to encourage other stroke survivors to work hard and live an enjoyable life,” he says. “That is a strong possibility for most stroke survivors. What I try to do is show how I’ve been able to do that and, hopefully, give some suggestions that would make a little difference in their lives.”
In that regard, Layton leads by example.
The lifelong sailor recently returned from a boating trip with friends in the Chesapeake Bay. In preparation for a Caribbean cruise, he practiced swimming using one side of his body for three months, eventually swimming a mile a day on just one arm. The longtime guitarist channeled his love for the instrument into playing the hammer dulcimer, which he performs often, especially around Christmas.
Layton’s weekly visits to hospital patients have stopped, but he continues to support stroke survivors through his website, www.singlehandedliving.com, which provides helpful information on everything from dressing to fishing. He has enjoyed seeing the progress made by many fellow stroke survivors.
While Layton’s life was forever transformed by his stroke, he insists it’s the best thing that could have happened to him. It has strengthened, among other things, his ties to his family and his faith.
“We are never too old to learn and accept new challenges,” Layton wrote in his most recent Stroke Connection article. “Just when you think one door has been closed in your life, God opens another one.”